Slayers AGAIN
by TLHCG
Summary: AU-FutureFic! Years after their parents retire, the children of Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev strike out on their own in search of fame and fortune! Along with their loyal companions, the wolfman "Spot"; a semi-competent knight errant called Zaphiel; and a pair of martial artist performers named Lei-Lei and Pei-Pei. Call them heroes... Call them rogues... Call them The Slayers!
1. Ep1 - The Terror of the Ruby-Eyed Blade

Slayers AGAIN

Episode 1

* * *

A Forbidden Spell?

The Terror of the Ruby-Eyed Blade!

by That Long-Haired Creepy Guy

* * *

Episode Guide: Where monsters rampage, they're there to take them down! The offspring of Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev wander the world in search of fame, fortune, glory, and food. Especially food!

* * *

"All right! Hold it right there!"

The bandit leader stood proudly, surrounded by eight other highwaymen. His clothes were ragged and worn, as befitted someone who lived their lives on the fringes of society. The sword he brandished, however, looked as lethal as any; and the cross-shaped scar covering the left side of his face spoke tales of a life of violence.

"I don't know what possessed two young punks like you to wander through our neck of the woods," the leader went on, while behind him, the other highwaymen laughed wickedly. "Didn't your parents warn you how dangerous the open road is."

The taller of the two, a girl of fifteen with strawberry blonde hair that swooped down to her hips, sighed irritably. She was sporting light armor, colored white, that concealed much of her figure. At her height, she stood nearly eye level with the bandit leader. A sword was strapped to her back, concealed in part by her hair. Blue eyes shined brightly as they swept the area, counting off the number of enemies.

"I guess we should've taken the main road like that merchant said," the shorter one mused, eerily calm in spite of the circumstances.

A long blue cloak draped around his body, and the hood concealed part of his face. Chestnut brown hair protruded from the side opposite of what the cloak covered. A darker blue shirt lay underneath, meeting with a simple pair of brown leggings. His attire was a bit more mismatched, yet it marked him clearly as a sorcerer.

"This is the shortest way to Atlas City," his companion insisted, sounding annoyed more than anything. "So what if there are a few bandit gangs along the way?"

The bandit leader looked offended.

"Hey," he warned, holding his sword up near their faces. "Are you two even paying attention?"

"You can say that," the shorter of the two went on, ignoring the danger for the moment in favor of arguing with his traveling cohort. "But this is the third bandit gang we've come across. I, for one, am getting tired of being attacked every few miles."

"Oh, there you go! Exaggerating again!" the girl shrieked, clenching her hands into fists as she glared. "Things haven't been nearly that bad. Why don't you try looking on the bright side of a situation for a change?"

"Hey! Weren't you listening?"

The bandit leader's face burned a bright red, half from embarrassment, but it was to no avail. "We are the mighty Falcon Claw, the most feared gang of highwaymen in all the land."

"Very well," the shorter of the two went on, still ignoring the bandit leader. "I'll try to see the brighter side of being accosted by bandits. At least we're not dead yet."

The young man threw his arms out and shrugged, which caused the girl with him to roll her eyes in contempt.

"Like either of us would die by the hand of some smelly old bandits anyway," she derided, before turning toward the bandit leader. "Anyway, can't say we've heard of ya."

The bandit leader grit his teeth together. Behind him, the other highwaymen moved in, ready to attack.

"You're gonna be sorry for this," the bandit leader swore, gripping the hilt of his blade tightly. "Nobody offends the Falcon Claw this way!"

The girl, meanwhile, hadn't unsheathed her sword. Both stood side by side, staring at the gang before them with looks of bewilderment.

"Why do bandit gangs always say the same speech right before they rob somebody?" she wondered.

"I dunno," he replied, marveling at the situation. "It's as if they get together beforehand and rehearse with one another."

"Wow, boss," one of the highwaymen behind the bandit leader said. "Who told them about rehearsals?"

"Shut up!" the bandit leader howled.

The two would-be victims of the bandit gang laughed.

"I suppose we've let this go on long enough," he said, eyeing the girl next to him. "Since I took care of the last bunch, these guys are on you."

"What?" she shouted, glaring at him again. "No way! I handled the first bunch all by myself. This is your fight this time."

"I recall you having some help with that first bunch," he countered with calmly, "and I handled the second batch single-handedly. Now, it's your turn."

"We sure picked some weird people to rob, huh boss?" a different bandit behind the leader commented. "Never mind how strange they're actin'. The tall one wearin' the armor's gotta really squeaky voice."

"Yeah, no foolin'," another chimed in, laughing. "Whasamatter, boy? Your balls haven't dropped yet 're sumthin?"

The girl's face burned red with anger.

"What?" she shrieked, her arms flailing now. "I'm not a guy! What the world makes you think a beautiful young flower such as myself could possibly be a man?"

The bandit leader frowned, looking confused.

"Seriously?" he said, lowering his sword. "I thought you were a dude this whole time."

The girl ground her teeth together.

"Oh, this won't end well," her friend said, backing away from the situation. "You and your gang might want to run now. Otherwise, it will get ugly."

"No way," yet another bandit protested, ignoring the advise being offered. "I ain't buyin' it. That bean pole is supposed to be a girl?"

"Yeah," said another. "I mean, I guess the armor could be coverin' stuff up, but seriously? Must be one flat-chested girl. No hips either!"

"I still say it's a dude," one of the others insisted. "No way would any self-respectin' girl walk around wearin' armor like that, carrying a sword."

The girl's eyes blazed with fire now. Slowly, she began to reach for her sword. The gold hilt gleamed brightly in the sunlight, and a small orb on the end of the hilt sparkled for a moment as she drew it out.

"Don't be getting any funny ideas," the bandit leader warned, brandishing his sword once more. "There's still eight of us, and only one of..."

"Howling sword!"

The girl swung her blade once through the air. The sharp sword never came near the bandits, yet it vibrated with an unnatural aura. A bright green flash filled the air, creating a shock wave. The bandits all screamed in pain and surprise as they were thrown backward.

"The demonic Howling Sword," she gloated. "Able to fell whole armies with one swing. Perfect for clearing out a few stray bandits as well."

"You do have a way with crowds, sis," her companion complimented dryly. "Mind finishing them off now so we can be on our way?"

"Not yet," she leered, bloodlust clouding her eyes. "First, I'm gonna make them pay for what they said about me."

The girl dove into the throng of highwaymen, swinging her sword with a timely precision. Each member of the bandit gang went flying, many high into the air. Her brother stood to the side, arms folded, watching as they each crashed back to the ground. Two landed close to where he stood, and were fast on their feet again.

"Call him off!" one yelled, pointing the tip of his sword at the boy's neck. "Her off! Whatever! That she-male is outta control."

"Let's hope she didn't hear you," the boy warned, glancing off to the side at where his sister was still fighting. "Oh, well. I suppose I'll have to deal with this on my own."

Kneeling down in the grass, the boy touched a finger to the earth. The tip began to glow brightly as he chanted.

" _Dill Brand!_ "

The ground beneath the two bandits ruptured violently. The young sorcerer watched with a detached sort of amusement as the explosion blasted both highwaymen back into the air.

Getting to his feet, the magic-user looked around, surveying the damage. The other bandits lay scattered back, unconscious. Only the leader remained, trapped on his knees against a tree with the point of the Howling Sword aimed at his face.

"Who... who are you people?!" he shrieked, wide-eyed and scared out of his mind.

As if to emphasize the point, the two bandits that had been blown into the sky by magic crashed back down to the ground, landing on the safest body part they had–their heads.

"What?" the girl asked in a jeering tone, keeping her sword pointed at the bandit leader. "You mean, you've never heard of us before?"

"I suppose we'll have to hunt down a few more bandit gangs before we gain the same reputation that Mom and Dad enjoyed," said the sorcerer, coming up behind her.

"Fame doesn't come easy for some people, I guess," she sighed, looking forlorn for a moment. "But, since you asked, I am the lovely, genius swordswoman and white mage, Luna."

"Swordswoman?" the bandit leader asked. "So, you really are a girl, then?"

"Quiet," Luna warned through gritted teeth, giving the bandit leader a sharp smack on the head with the flat part of her blade.

The sorcerer behind her coughed, pointedly.

"Oh, all right. Fine." Luna gestured to the young man beside her. "And this is my brother, Rowdy. We are the Inverse-Gabriev twins, the children of the great mazoku slayers."

The bandit leader's eyes widened with shock at the mention of the name 'Inverse'.

"You're not..." he stammered, clawing backward into the tree. "You can't be..."

"Yes!" Luna declared, striking a dynamic pose. "And so long as there is wickedness in the world, my brother and I will continue to..."

"Mistress Luna!"

Luna staggered slightly as the sharp cry pierced the air, cutting her off.

"Master Rowdy!"

"Looks like he finally caught up with us," Rowdy mused, staring off in the direction of the cry. "I was wondering where he'd gotten off to."

The bandit leader watched, still in shock, as a cluster of bushes not far away rustled. From out of it, a large wolfman with green fur emerged, brandishing an axe.

"There you two are," the wolfman gasped, gasping for breath as he came to a stop beside them. "Please, don't run off like that."

"You knew we were leaving," Rowdy chided, unamused. "We told you that if you didn't hurry, we'd go on without you."

The bandit leader let out a high-pitched scream worthy of any maiden in distress.

"A beastman!" he shrieked. "A wolf! Please, don't eat me!"

"Oh, and this is Dilgear," Luna added, ignoring the fact that the bandit leader most likely couldn't hear her over the noise he was making. "He's our bodyguard and... well, I guess you can call him a manservant as well."

"We call him Spot," Rowdy added, grinning slightly.

Dilgear slumped his shoulders at this, and a sweat drop appeared down the side of his face.

"Please, Master Rowdy," Dilgear begged.

"Well, I guess all the introductions have been made," Luna said, sheathing her sword. "We've defeated the fearsome bandit gang, the Falcon Claw."

Luna began to walk off, then paused.

"Oh, and feel free to tell all of your bandit friends about us," she added, speaking to the leader.

"Wait, what?" The bandit leader looked confused, and he wasn't the only one. "That's it?"

"Are you seriously just going to walk away like that?" Rowdy asked.

"Hey, it's not like these guys have a lot of money on them," Luna pointed out, turning around to go. "They're small potatoes. Besides, if we let them go, more people will hear about us."

"Huh." Rowdy considered this for a moment. "I guess you're right."

Rowdy followed after his sister, leaving Dilgear behind with the leader of the Falcon Claw.

"Nice meeting you," he told the bandit leader, who recoiled in fear. "I'm a big fan of your work."

"Spot, we're leaving!" Luna called out warningly.

Dilgear's shoulders slumped again.

"Coming, Mistress Luna," he said, racing off after them.

The bandit leader watched the trio go for a moment. Shame, and a palpable rage, churned together inside of him. Taking up his sword, the bandit leader got to his feet, then charged at the backs of the twins.

"You'll regret this!" he roared, preparing to strike.

Rowdy didn't even bother to turn around. Raising one hand, he aimed it back the way they'd come and began chanting again.

 _"Oh, source of all power, light which burns beyond crimson, let thy power gather in my hand."_

The bandit leader tried to stop, but it was far too late.

"Wait, stop! Let's talk about this!"

 _"FIREBALL!"_

The explosion that followed took out the bandit leader, as well as the unconscious members of his gang. Their smoldering bodies scattered all over the nearby woods, leaving behind a smoking crater.

"I guess we'll have to wait until the next bandit gang attacks us to have someone spread our reputation around," Luna noted, taking in the damage with both arms folded behind her head.

"You could always hunt down one of the bodies," said Rowdy calmly as he smoothed out the wrinkles in his cloak. "See if they could be revived."

"Nah, that's too much work," Luna dismissed, moving on. "Let's go."

* * *

The port of Sangoria was a bustling hub of activity, which was not surprising considering the number of ships that moved in and out each day. Though the air smelled of salty sea brine and fish, there were more than enough things to make up for it. Vendors peddled their wares from booths and tents, desperate to entice consumers with their trinkets. Shop windows boasted the latest fashions from across the seas, attracting the eye of more than a few young ladies. Blacksmiths also hung about, showcasing various weapons and tools for sale. It was a mecca where anything was available for the right price.

"So, where should we eat?" Luna wondered, ignoring all of that in favor of her stomach. "Nothing brings out an appetite like a good fight."

"And that last brawl was nothing like one," Rowdy retorted with.

"Oh, don't act like you're not in the mood for a hot meal." Luna stuck her tongue out at him for emphasis. "We've been traveling for days. Let's make the most of our time here."

Rowdy was, in fact, well on his way to being very hungry. Still, he couldn't resist the temptation to antagonize his sister.

"I suppose we could always explore the town later," he mused, acting as though it were no great concern of his. "Though, I would at least like to find an inn first."

As if conspiring against him, Rowdy's stomach let out a horrific roar that startled several nearby pedestrians.

"Uh-huh," Luna said knowingly. "Sure, we could find ourselves an inn. And who knows? Maybe they'll have a cook working there as well."

Rowdy clutched his stomach, feeling betrayed.

"Fine," he grumbled. "Let's go eat."

"Oh, no!" Luna said loftily, tossing her head back. "You wanted to find a place to settle in for the night first, so that's precisely what we'll do. Even if it takes the rest of the day!"

Rowdy grit his teeth together.

"You live to watch me suffer, don't you?"

Dilgear, who had remained silent throughout the exchange–he knew better than to get involved in their squabbles–noticed something. A number of locals were staring his way. Whenever he caught them looking, they would turn away, as though afraid. He was used to some people responding to him in such a manner, but it seemed odd that a well-known port like Sangoria would be unused to seeing a beastman.

"People here sure are acting weird," Luna blurted out, having noticed as well. "You'd think none of them have ever seen a wolfman before."

"Maybe it's the green fur?" Rowdy offered, though he was half-joking. "You are half-troll, after all, Dilgear."

The looks weren't just coming from random passersby, however. A number of armed citizens, each sporting weapons of various lethal quality, glared dangerously as the trio walked past. Their eyes seemed fixed specifically on Dilgear, though more than a few spared an ugly look at the twins as well.

"Hey!" Luna shouted at one muscle-bound swordsman giving her the stink eye. "If you're spoiling for a fight, come over here and say so! Don't lurk off to the side like that. It's rude!"

The swordsman looked as if he were going to take Luna up on her challenge. However, his eyes drifted over to Rowdy, and then to the axe Dilgear was carrying. Growling, the swordsman moved on, though not before spitting on the ground in contempt.

"Oh, why you!" Luna howled in anger. "What's that all about, anyway?"

"He's far from the only one," Rowdy said. "This town seems to have something against beastmen. I wonder why that is."

"I haven't done anything!" Dilgear protested very quickly. "You both know that. I've been traveling with you two this whole time."

Dilgear paused during his tirade to think for a moment.

"And besides," he added nervously, "this is my first trip to Sangoria in years."

"Try explaining that to them," Luna said, gesturing at the surrounding people, all of whom were giving the trio looks of contempt. "No offense or anything, Spot, but beastmen don't exactly have the best reputation under normal circumstances."

"So, you're saying their prejudice is justified?" Rowdy asked, giving Luna a raised eyebrow.

"I'm saying," Luna replied, moving on ahead of them, "that we're here to find an inn. So let's not let anything slow us down. Keep moving, guys."

Rowdy watched his twin sister walk ahead of them.

"I really don't think that's what she meant at all," Dilgear commented.

"You have a remarkable grasp of things, Spot," Rowdy replied. "Come on, though. I don't think it would be wise for us to stay separated for long."

The group's troubles weren't over, however. At each inn they came to, someone was there to turn them away. Worse yet, the story of each innkeeper was the same: no vacancy. Pretty soon, they weren't even able to make it past the front door. People were hanging signs out as they approached, warning that the inn was full.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Luna raged, glaring up at the hanging sign overhead. "This is the eighth inn we've come to!"

"It would appear word travels fast in Sangoria," Rowdy said, studying the sign thoughtfully. "I guess we may have to try further in town."

"But all the best inns are supposed to be located along the docks," Luna whined. "And so are all the best restaurants. I was looking forward to having a soft bed and a real meal for a change."

"There's nothing for it," Rowdy said, moving along. "We'll just have to keep looking until we find someone willing to accommodate us."

"Um, Master Rowdy," Dilgear began hesitantly. "Forgive me, but perhaps if I..."

"Not another word," Rowdy said at once, calmly shooting down Dilgear's idea before he could finish voicing it. "We'll find something eventually. Until then, we stick together."

"We could just go in ourselves," Luna advised, following after her brother, "get a room, and then sneak Dilgear in through the back."

Dilgear sweat dropped again.

"Um, how is that better?" he wondered.

"We could try that," Rowdy mused. "Though, by now, I'm sure many of the innkeepers have been given our description. If they knew enough to post signs up, then..."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Luna agreed, looking dejected. "Still, it beats wandering around through town all day on an empty stomach."

* * *

The trio was able to locate a inn that let them inside after an exhaustive search. The place in question was called the Salty Seadog; a small, two-story structure sandwiched between two other shops much further inland from the port. Naturally, it wasn't in the best of neighborhoods and looked rather shabby from the outside.

"At least no one was standing guard outside," Rowdy commented as they entered.

The interior of the inn was just as shabby, though the three did notice that someone had gone to a great deal of trouble making the place look clean. The lobby area was completely empty. No one was manning the bar off to the side. The front desk was completely deserted as well.

"I wonder if anyone's even around," Luna said, tapping the service bell impatiently. "Hey, can anyone hear me? We'd like some service!"

"I'm sure there are people back at the port who can hear you," Rowdy chided. "Keep that up, and you'll have us back on the streets again before the owner has a look at Dilgear."

"At least you called me by my proper name," the wolfman muttered.

The innkeeper, meanwhile, hurried out through a door from somewhere in back.

"Sorry!" the older man wheezed, sliding to a stop behind the counter. "So sorry! I was in the back taking some inventory and didn't hear you come in. How can I be of service?"

"It's about time," Luna declared, giving the bell one last smack for good measure. "We're from out of town and would like to rent a room while we explore Sangoria. Is that going to be a problem?"

"Oh, of course!" the innkeeper exclaimed, looking overjoyed at the idea. "Yes, please. By all means! Why in the world would I take issue with that?"

"We've had a less-than-savory welcome from the locals so far," Rowdy explained, moving aside slightly so the innkeeper had a better look at Dilgear. "It's possible the people here aren't enthused by the company we keep."

The innkeeper jumped back slightly in surprise the moment he got a good look at Dilgear's face.

"Oh! Oh my, yes." The innkeeper studied the wolfman for a moment. "This young fella here is your traveling companion, you say?"

Dilgear tried to smile as the innkeeper pointed a finger at him, which brought it dangerously close to the wolfman's nose. Furthermore, the smile in question looked more like a leer full of fangs.

"It's like he doesn't even know how to smile properly," Luna moaned, her face buried in one palm.

"This is Dilgear, our manservant and bodyguard," Rowdy went on, giving Dilgear a clap on the back for good measure. "He's been with us for a while."

"Very nice to meet you, sir," Dilgear said, bowing politely.

"I see," said the innkeeper. "And you all are out of town, eh? Well, I guess that explains everything. Our inn has plenty of vacancy at the moment, so why don't the three of you go right on upstairs and pick out whichever rooms you like."

"Wow, really?" Luna looked surprised for a moment, but didn't argue with the older man. "Thanks! I call dibs on the one that has the best view of the city."

"One other thing," Rowdy added as Luna skipped off happily. "Would there happen to be a restaurant near here that has the same... open-minded policy as you?"

"Oh, that's right," Luna said, stopping in mid-skip. "I was so happy that we'd finally found a place to sleep I forgot how hungry I'd been."

"That's no trouble at all," the innkeeper revealed. "We have a restaurant right here. It's part of our service. The kitchen is fully stocked, so just let me know when you're ready to order."

Rowdy nodded his thanks, then motioned for Dilgear to follow. The wolfman gave the innkeeper one last bow of thanks before following after. Luna beat them all upstairs, naturally, and had already claimed her room by the time he and Dilgear reached the second floor. Dilgear picked the room directly across from Rowdy, whose room lay adjacent to Luna's.

"I guess we really lucked out in the end," Rowdy mused to himself, settling back on the soft bed. "One wonders why a place like this doesn't get more business. I guess the inns down by the port snatch up all the best clientele."

It was still relatively early in the day, so a nap was in order. Rowdy dozed on top of the bedspread, letting the warm sun from the nearby window wash over him. As he napped, a strange noise drifted to him in his sleep. For a moment, he thought he could hear the sound of ceremonial rings clattering together.

Rowdy's eyes flew open abruptly. At first, he couldn't tell what it was that had woken him up. A second later, however, the answer came. The sound from his dream was echoing outside the door to his room. Soft footfalls crept along in time to the chimes, moving past down the hall.

Raising up, Rowdy hopped off the bed and rushed over to the door. Throwing it open, he swept the hallway back and forth with his eyes. Both hands were raised in readiness to cast a spell, if needed. The corridor was deserted, though. Not a soul could be found.

"I must be dreaming still," Rowdy said to himself aloud.

"Hey, Rowdy!" Luna's shrill voice rang out, shattering that preconception to bits. "Are we ever going to eat or what?"

Rowdy sighed, leaning against the door frame for support.

"I could never be so fortunate," he moaned. "Coming, Luna!"

After they had retrieved Dilgear, which took several more minutes due to the wolfman being a very sound sleeper, the trio made their way downstairs. The innkeeper was more than happy to prepare a huge feast for the hungry travelers, especially once he saw how much they were willing to pay.

"Here you go, kids," the innkeeper said, wheeling out a squeaky food cart loaded to capacity. "Help yourselves. I cooked enough to feed an army, so dig in!"

The innkeeper scarcely had time to finish speaking before the trio did just that. Luna swiped an entire roast off the cart with one hand, then bit a huge chunk of it off. Rowdy and Dilgear both attacked separate roast chickens.

"I cooked enough... to feed an army," the innkeeper whispered to himself weakly as the threesome moved on to the huge platter of smoked clams. "At least, I think I did."

"Delicious!" Luna crowed around a mouthful of pasta.

"Amazing!" Dilgear praised. "You're an incredible chef, sir!"

"Thank you," said the innkeeper, still in shock over what he was seeing. "At least, you are all tasting my food, right?"

The front door of the inn burst open suddenly. All three swallowed the food in their mouths one after the other before turning around to stare. The innkeeper had already seen who was standing in the doorway, and judging by his expression, it wasn't good news. Sure enough, a procession of large men, each armed and spoiling for a fight, filed in one after the other.

"Remus."

The name was spoken by one of the biggest of the bunch. Rowdy thought the man looked familiar, and realized that he'd seen the guy glaring at them down by the docks earlier. He was pointing a finger accusingly at the innkeeper, whom Rowdy reasoned must be named Remus.

"Are you really so desperate for gold, old man," the accuser said, touching the hilt of his sword warningly with the other hand, "that you'd taken in this... riff-raff? Have you no pride?"

"See here, Didymous!" the innkeeper named Remus fired back, not the least been intimidated. "These are guests of my inn, and none of them are from Sangoria. They traveled a long way to get here, which means they've got nothing to do with this town's bad business."

"Bad business?" Luna wondered aloud.

"Are you blind, you old fool?" Didymous shouted. "They're travelling with one of that!"

Didymous's finger went from the innkeeper over to Dilgear, who looked back and forth from Luna to Rowdy in confusion.

"You're the one who's the bigger fool here, Didymous," Remus barked, clenching his fists. "Didn't you just hear me say that they're not from around here. That one has nothing to do with the beast tribes!"

"They're all the same!" Didymous declared. "Everyone in town knows that. You're just too blinded by your greed and desire to keep this ramshackle place open to see that!"

The crowd of men behind him all pumped their fists in the air and whooped in support.

"Excuse me," Luna said, getting to her feet. "I think I've heard enough."

"We outta burn this place to the ground," another man cheered, raising an unlit torch. "It'd be a public service."

"You lowlifes get out of my inn this instant," Remus scowled, as Luna approached.

"Sorry, Remus," she said, drawing her sword as she stood in front of him, "but I need to cut in real quick."

Didymous glared at her in response.

"Boy!" he jeered. "Do not interfer in matters that don't..."

Luna swung the Howling Sword at that, her eyes blazing with anger as the shock wave attack from it blasted everyone in the crowd out the front door. Rather, the gaping hole that was made where the front door had been.

"Oh, sorry about that," Luna said sheepishly. "Guess I got a little carried away. Just put the damages on our tab. My little brother over there will take care of it."

"I'm sorry," Rowdy glared. "What?"

"Come on, you two," Luna said, waving them both over. "Let's finish them off so I can get back to eating!"

"Nice to see she has her priorities straight," Dilgear noted, standing at the same time as Rowdy.

"Let's go," Rowdy said wearily. "It's entirely possible that Luna may need our help this time. And if she does manage to beat all of those men single-handedly, we'll never hear the end of it."

"Gaahh!" Dilgear's jaw dropped as the horror of what Rowdy just said struck him. "We have to hurry, Master Rowdy!"

Luna was already engaging in battle with the mob as they exited the inn. Two men had already been put down. A third had crossed swords with her while the others looked on, waiting for an opportunity.

" _Vas Gluudo_!" Luna cried out, using her white magic to call forth a holy shield for protection.

"I'll be damned!" one of the onlookers exclaimed in shock as Luna used her magic shield to block a strike from her opponent's sword. "She's a sorceress."

"I guess the outfit wasn't a big enough clue for all of you," Rowdy said, getting their attention. "In any case, why don't the rest of you leave all of us and the nice innkeeper alone?"

"Trust me," Dilgear added sheepishly. "You don't want to be around here when these two decide to fight you all seriously."

One of the men stepped forward, holding up a sinister-looking club that had spikes protruding from the head. With a jeering smile, he laughed at Dilgear.

"You can't be serious, beastman," the club-wielding warrior said, giving the tip of one of the spikes a lick with his tongue. "They're just a couple of punk kids."

As if waiting for someone to say those very words, Luna unleashed a shockwave attack with her sword. The man she'd been fighting flew through the air, stopping only when his body collided against the wall of a building across the street.

"She has a powerful magical sword," Rowdy pointed out, just in case the armed thugs were slow on the uptake, which was entirely possible. "And as for myself–"

Rowdy paused, extending one hand out.

" _Icicle Lance_!"

The air soon shined with flakes of ice. Rowdy hurled one lance after another at the mob, locking all of them in a state of frozen suspension. Pretty soon, the entire mob of thugs were trapped. It looked as if a sculptor had left a venerable museum of his wares right outside the inn.

"I guess that'll take care of them," Luna said, satisfied. "Now, we can finish our meal."

"I really didn't get a chance to do anything," Dilgear mumbled, dejectedly.

"Let's go back inside, then," Rowdy suggested, "before anything else can–"

Sharp bells rang out, cutting Rowdy off in mid-sentence.

"You just had to ruin it, didn't you?" Luna yelled, stopping a foot on the ground impetuously.

"What's all the noise for, I wonder?" Dilgear asked, sniffing the air curiously.

"Those bells," the innkeeper said, stepping out into the street. "That means the beastmen are attack again. We should take cover before... GAH!"

The innkeeper stopped short, staring wide-eyed in horrified shock at the frozen men all around him.

"Wha... wha... what happened here?!" he howled with dread. "What did you two do to them?"

"Oh, they'll be fine," Luna replied, waving away the innkeeper's concerns. "At least, probably. Rowdy and I made sure to go easy enough on them."

"This is horrible," the innkeeper moaned, clutching the sides of his face. "Lately, the town has been under assault by beastmen from the nearby woods. They attack trade ships that are docked in our ports, and have even kidnapped young, beautiful women."

"That explains our warm reception," Rowdy said, giving Dilgear the eye. "People must have thought you were a member of the attacking beastmen's party."

"Never mind that!" shouted the innkeeper. "Because of these attacks, the city has had to hire extra security to help fight them off."

"Huh?" Luna looked confused for a moment, but then realization dawned on her. "Oh, I get it. These guys were all a part of the security team working for the city."

Everyone looked around at the frozen men, still encased in ice.

"It would seem the city hired the lowest common denominator," Rowdy muttered sardonically.

"No kidding," Luna agreed.

"This is no time for joking!" the innkeeper howled. "With the men out of commission, the town is sure to be overrun, and the people will blame me for it!"

"Well, then. It looks like you've got some problems," Luna said calmly. "Do you think we could get our meal to go, instead?"

The innkeeper fell to his knees at this and wailed, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Mistress Luna!" Dilgear chided.

"Oh, all right." Luna looked less than happy with the situation, but gripped the hilt of her sword. "He was willing to put us up when nobody else did. I guess it won't hurt to repay him for that by driving off the beastmen."

"The compassion of white mages never ceases to astound me," Rowdy retorted, joining her. "You won't have any personal conflicts helping us. Will you, Dilgear?"

Dilgear blushed bright and stammered for a moment.

"Ah, well," he babbled. "I, uh... My orders are to protect the two of you, so... of course I'll be fighting at your side."

"That's what we like to hear," said Luna, pumping her fist into the air. "Let's go, Rowdy. Those beastmen are history."

Dilgear lingered back for a moment with the innkeeper, who had finally stopped crying, but was still down on his knees in the street.

"It's not as though I have much choice," the half-troll wolfman muttered through clenched teeth. "The great mistress would skin me alive otherwise."

* * *

The beastmen had swarmed the port by the time the trio arrived. Great anthropomorphic cat men, dog men, wolf and bear men, and even a couple of gazelle men were mobbing about. Worse yet, in addition to the beastmen, there were also a number of reanimated corpses among the horde. They were all carrying weapons that looked to have either been cobbled together by their own hands–er, paws–or else stolen. A number were sporting torches, and evidence of their handiwork lay in the fact that several ships had caught fire.

" _Digger bolt!_ "

Rowdy's spell struck the first batch, sending a wave of electrical energy surging through them.

"Rumor has it, you boys have been attacking the town a lot recently," Luna said to another group, before sending a shockwave blast their way, knocking them to their feet. "And this is the part where we'd normally make some grand speech about punishing you in the name of justice or some such."

Without so much as an introduction for himself, Rowdy stepped forward and proceeded to chant.

" _Infinite earth, mother who nurtures all life, let thy power gather in my hand!_ "

"Wait, stop!" one of the lion men cried out, begging for mercy. "Nobody told us there were sorcerers in the city!"

" _VLAVE HOWL!_ "

Lava burst forth from the ground, bathing the beastmen. Before the liquid earth had even touched them, the flesh on their bones burned black and began to rend. Dilgear looked on in shock.

"Don't you think that might've been just a little bit too much, Master Rowdy?"

Two undead soldiers came up from behind, distracting the wolfman bodyguard. Raising his axe, Dilgear blocked the attacks with their swords, holding them at bay. As the undead warriors tried to advance, Dilgear's axe started to shine with a bright golden light.

"This is an enchanted axe," Dilgear gloated, while the undead soldiers began to weaken from its light. "Given to me by the Knight of Ceiphid herself."

With two clean cuts, the undead soldiers went down and didn't move.

"Nice to see you've remembered what that axe can do, Spot," Luna chided playfully.

" _FIREBALL!_ " Rowdy cried out, launching a bright orb of pure flame at a charging platoon of beastmen.

"Nice shot," Dilgear complimented as the beastmen's charred remains were blown backward.

"This may be a raid," Rowdy said, observing the surrounding chaos, "but these attacks are too organized for it to be a simple roving band of scavengers."

Luna swung her sword out, sending another bunch flying away from them, while Dilgear fended off another duo of undead warriors.

"You're saying someone's directing this bunch?" Luna asked, looking back over her shoulder at Rowdy.

"It makes the most sense," he replied, readying himself for another assault. "How else do you explain an army of undead soldiers working alongside them?"

"Speaking of, Mistress Luna," said Dilgear sheepishly. "It's not that I don't appreciate the great mistress's gift, but couldn't you do something about all these zombies?"

"There do appear to be a lot of them," Rowdy noted, as a mixture of wolfmen and undead warriors rushed him.

"Right. Right." Luna sighed and turned her sword around so that the orb embedded at the bottom of the hilt was pointed up. "I was just getting to that anyway. Sheesh, don't be so impatient!"

The orb on the hilt of Luna's sword began to glow brightly. A wild wind from out of nowhere blew up, stirring her hair as she chanted.

" _You pitiful twisted creatures, not of this world... by the Light of Purity I possess, I bid thee, begone to the nexus of our two worlds! MEGIDO FLARE!_ "

The light from Luna's sword expanded outward, engulfing first her two companions, followed by every other creature in the area. All of the undead bathed in the white light went rigid, as if seized by some unseen force. As one, each then crumbled to the earth, still as dust from which they had come.

"Nice work," Rowdy complimented. "Now, let's find the ringleader of this little outfit."

Peasants everywhere were scattered about, most running for their lives or boarding up their houses and shops. Guards were doing their best to stem the attacking tide. With the loss of the undead soldiers, it seemed things were beginning to turn in the town's favor.

"Ugh, this is like a needle in a haystack," Luna complained as they raced through the streets, taking out the stragglers who tried blocking their path.

"I had assumed the leader would be out among the crowd fighting," Rowdy concluded, stopping long enough to let Dilgear take out two catmen. "Looks like he took the smart route, though."

"Well, whoever they are, they can't hide forever," Luna declared. "Let's keep searching."

"Mistress Luna! Master Rowdy!" Dilgear was pointing up to a spot on a nearby rooftop. "Up there!"

Both twins turned, and saw at once what Dilgear was pointing to. A man dressed in long, flowing robes carrying a staff was perched on the roof's ledge. A hood concealed much of his face, but the sunlight was bright enough for Rowdy to tell that he was an older gentleman belonging to a sorcerer's guild.

"Got him," Rowdy declared. "Keep the rest off me. I'll handle this guy."

"Hey, who said you could take charge?" Luna roared as Rowdy began casting a spell around himself.

" _LEVITATION!_ "

The spell broke the bonds of gravity over Rowdy, allowing him to lift off the earth and into the air. The street below drifted away as Rowdy floated within sight toward the mysterious sorcerer.

"You don't look surprised to see me," he noted, once close enough for the older man to hear him.

"I decided to see what sort of challenge you'd pose," replied the older male, whose voice was surprisingly soft and delicate.

The sorcerer slammed the tip of his staff into the rooftop, which caused the rings on the top of the staff to chime. Rowdy recognized the sound.

"I see you remember me after all," said the old man, looking pleased. "My name is Grimlee, and I am known as the Pearl of Atlas City."

"That explains the off-white coloring," Rowdy replied, noting the color of the man's robes. "So, let's settle this already, shall we?"

Rowdy levitated himself over the man's head, settling down on the rooftop behind him.

"The impatience of youth," Grimlee noted, still grinning. "Could one so young as you be so eager to die?"

Rowdy shook his head, holding a finger up in protest.

"Who said anything about me dying today?" he replied boastfully. "I have other stuff to do after this, is all."

"Very well, then," Grimlee said, holding his staff out in front of him. "Then allow me to make a proposal. I wish to test your strength. Why don't you come at me with your most powerful offensive attack spell."

Rowdy looked skeptical. "That simple, eh?"

"If I survive your assault," Grimlee went on, "you will most assuredly die by my hand. If your attack is successful, however, and I cannot defend against it, my life will be in your hands."

Rowdy seemed to consider this for a moment, taking his time.

"Well?"

"Yeah, I don't think so," the young sorcerer said finally, waving the old man away. "See, I'm certain that I could kill you right now. It really doesn't seem fair to take advantage of your proposal when you clearly don't know what you're up against."

Rowdy paused, then gave the old man a wink.

"Plus, my mother raised me better than that. I'd never hear the end of it if she found out I disrespected my elders in such a way."

"Oh?" Grimlee the Pearl grit his teeth together and readied to attack. "But, I insist!"

Rowdy's eyes doubled in size as a flurry of fireballs suddenly whooshed through the air from Grimlee at him. The young sorcerer was forced to duck, weave, and dodge out of the way to avoid being barbequed. Whole chunks of the rooftop went flying as the spell blasted the area out from under Rowdy's feet.

"Ow!" he cried out, landing hard off to the side, covered in soot. "Who knew this guy could take things so personally?"

Grimlee ceased his attack and strode forward, his gait confident as drew nearer to the younger spellcaster.

"Are you finally ready to take this seriously?" Grimlee demanded, leering down at Rowdy in a way that made the young man uncomfortable.

As fast as he could, Rowdy got up on his feet.

"It would seem I have no choice," Rowdy replied, extending a hand outward. "So now you'll see it. The most powerful spell I know."

Grimlee chuckled, but took a step backward and waited.

" _Crimson King of the Frozen North, You whose eyes shine like blood in the darkness. Gather your strength in my hand and become one with my power._ "

Grimlee eyed the young sorcerer skeptically as red lightning crackled all about Rowdy.

"What's this?" he asked. "Is it a spell of your own devising, then?"

Rowdy's eyes opened, and narrowed in on the old man.

"A spell that calls upon the power of Dark Lord of this world," he explained, as the power began taking shape in his palm. "A spell that molds it into a blade that can match even the legendary Sword of Light."

Rowdy paused for effect.

" _RUBY-EYED BLADE!_ "

"Impossible!" Grimlee declared as the shining blood-red blade took form in Rowdy's hand. "Nothing could match the strength of the Sword of–"

"Challenge accepted!" Rowdy howled, charging forward.

Grimlee had all of a second to throw up a protection barrier around himself. The spell held fast against the blade when it first clashed against his magic. Then, the barrier shattered all around him, as though it were made of sugar glass. Rowdy kept going, his eyes shining bright as the blade slashed through Grimlee's body, cleaving him in two.

"Impossi...ble," the dying sorcerer gasped around a mouthful of blood. "Im...possi...ble."

Without a word, Rowdy dismissed the glowing red blade in his hand and marched off to the roof's edge.

"I am the son of the greatest sorceress in the world," he murmured, speaking to the departing spirit of the man he'd just defeated. "Never challenge unless you know you can win.

One quick chant of a levitation spell later, and he was floating down to the ground. It looked as if the beastmen were giving up. Luna and Dilgear were finishing off the last lingering few who hadn't fled. Rowdy observed the beastmen as they tried to run, landing next to Luna as she fired off a final blast from her sword.

"There you are!" Luna said, giving Rowdy a hearty slap on the back for a greeting. "So, how'd it go up there?"

"It's done," Rowdy answered neutrally, avoiding his sister's eyes.

"Good news, Master Rowdy," Dilgear said, looking excited. "The hordes are retreating. It looks like we've saved the town."

Rowdy didn't respond.

"Ah, Rowdy?" Luna pressed, poking him on the arm. "That's a good thing, you know?"

"I'm not convinced just yet that this town is completely safe," he said in a grim voice, watching as the retreating beastmen in the distance fled the town. "I think we may have more problems on our hands than a few beastmen."

To be continued...


	2. Ep2 - Revenge of Evergreen Enchantress

Slayers AGAIN

Episode 2

* * *

A Pathway Into Trouble?

Revenge of the Evergreen Enchantress

by That Long-Haired Creepy Guy

* * *

Episode Guide: Luna and Rowdy Inverse-Gabriev find themselves taking on the task of eliminating a tribe of beastmen in some nearby ruins. Luckily, there appears to be a guide willing to take them to the beastmen's hideout located at the base of the Mountain of Tears.

* * *

Rowdy's eyes opened to the sound of sharp tapping on the door to his room.

"Uzz... wha?" he mumbled sleepily, opening his tired eyes to the brightness of the morning's early rays. "Whuzz'er?"

No reply was forthcoming, but the tapping persisted impatiently. Rowdy blinked the sleep away from his eyes and raised up, confused for a second about his surroundings. The small room was quaint and held minimal furniture, but sported a comfortable bed and open window to allow for a cool breeze.

Rowdy spotted a satchel that belonged to him tucked away in a corner. The sight of it brought back memories of the past few days. In particular, he recalled the events of the previous day, shortly after their arrival in Sangoria.

"Right," he muttered, annoyed by the tapping sound, which hadn't let up once. "Must've been more tired than I thought after clearing out the stragglers from that invading horde."

It was a testament to Rowdy and his family as a whole that such statements seemed ordinary. Yawning, the fifteen-year old mage climbed out from under the covers. His robe and other assorted clothing lay hanging off the back of a chair near the bed. Shorts and a loose undershirt were the only things that protected his modesty as the teen approached the door.

"Yes?" he was asking impatiently before the door was halfway open. "I'll assume this was important enough to wake me before the sun had risen completely, so–"

Rowdy stopped speaking before he had finished airing out his grievance. On the other side, standing out in the hallway, was a young woman only a year or two his senior. Rowdy's eyes almost rolled out of their sockets in surprise. The beautiful maiden was dressed in a simple pair of clean clothes. It looked like she worked as a maid, or maybe a cook for the kitchens. Either way, her appearance startled Rowdy enough that he felt his face burn.

"Um," he stammered. "I... ah."

"Forgive me for waking you," the maiden apologized at once, bowing her head low. "I realize it's obscenely early, but there's an important meeting, and..."

"Obscene?" Rowdy repeated, sleep and arousal competing for the chance to cloud his mind over. "I mean, ah... Sorry, is there an emergency?"

The young woman raised up immediately and nodded.

"In the lobby of the inn," she explained. "I was sent to fetch you and your sister to attend. The townspeople want to have a word."

Rowdy blinked, the words she'd spoken catching up to his brain more slowly than normal. It occurred to him that Luna and he might not have made the best impression. This wasn't the first time that a town had become riled by their antics, however well-meaning.

Then again, he reasoned, it was just as likely that Luna had offended someone with her smart mouth. Rowdy worried briefly that he would have to make a formal apology for his sister's actions this early in the day.

"I'll be down in a moment," he said in a soft, timid voice. "Um, just lemme... get changed and... stuff, okay?"

The young woman bowed again, this time much faster.

"I'll let them know you're coming," she said, adding a couple of extra bows after for good measure in rapid succession. "That you're on your way, I mean."

This freudian slip of the tongue caused her and Rowdy both to burn a red that matched the early morning skies outside.

"Right," Rowdy said, backing away from the door, before he remember that he should shut it. "I mean, I'll put on clothes. Get changed, I mean!"

The nameless young woman managed to let out a squeak right before Rowdy gave up and slammed the door in her face.

"That... could've gone better," he mused to himself, resting his back against the flat panel of wood separating him from the outer corridor.

Rowdy dressed quickly, worrying the whole time about what could be important enough that the townspeople wanted to see him. Strapping the belt around his waist, Rowdy considered the satchel for a moment. Ultimately, he decided to bring it down with him. If the meeting went poorly, he and Luna might need to make a fast exit. The less they had to worry about leaving behind, the better.

Rowdy saved putting his hood on for last. Once the cloth was adequately concealing his face, the sorcerer opened the room door again and headed out into the hall. To his shock, Luna and Dilgear were there and waiting for him.

"Finally," Luna grumbled, pushing away from the wall where she'd been leaning. "What took you so long? I thought we were just supposed to get dressed for a quick meeting with the mayor."

"Mayor?" Rowdy looked from Luna to Dilgear. "Who said anything about the mayor?"

Dilgear was munching contently on something. Rowdy could smell fried egg and something that may have been spicy pork sausage. Someone–most likely the maid who had visited him–had brought the wolfman a treat for breakfast.

"She told me the mayor was here to see us," Luna went on, ignoring Dilgear's hungry munching noises. "The girl that showed up at my room door at the crack of dawn, I mean. Didn't you talk to her?"

Rowdy was embarrassed.

"There wasn't much stimulating conversation," he grumbled, angry at himself and shame-faced. "Anyway, did she tell you what any of this was about?"

"We'll find out soon, I guess," Luna said, turning to go down the flight of stairs at the end of the hallway. "Come on. I wanna get this over with so we can grab some breakfast."

"I can live with that," Rowdy agreed ammicably, following after. "Not all of us here had breakfast delivered right to our door, after all."

"Gaym zoggy, asthure Gowdee," Dilgear apologized sincerely, hurrying after the two. "Guud joo–"

"Spot, chew before you choke yourself," Rowdy instructed impatiently, carefully dividing his attention between the wolfman behind him and the set of stairs in front.

Rowdy turned back to the steps, which were small and easy to trip on. He hoped Dilgear didn't fall forward and knock all three of them in a tumbling ball to the bottom floor.

Dilgear, meanwhile, gulped loudly and let out a soft burp. "Sorry, Master Rowdy. I just wanted to know if you would like a bite."

Rowdy was reluctant to hurt Dilgear's feelings, but the idea of breakfast coated in half-troll slobber wasn't less appealing.

"You... can just finish your treat," he decided out loud, waving back over his shoulder. "She brought it for you, after all. I'll wait."

The three of them reached the ground floor a moment later. The lobby was packed with people, several of whom Rowdy guessed were local officials. The innkeeper who had allowed them to stay was lurking off to the side worriedly. A single man sat in the center of the crowd. Rowdy guessed this person to be the mayor of Sangoria.

"Welcome," the portly man in the center of the gathered mass of people said seriously. "I am Mayor Guliare of the town of Sangoria. Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice, first of–."

Luna's yawn was enough to drown out the end of the mayor's speech.

"Talk later," Luna grumbled, scratching her belly irritably as she looked around. "Can we get food first? I think better on a less-empty stomach."

Dilgear perked up at the mention of breakfast.

"Food sounds good," he said eagerly, and several members of the gathered conglomerate looked uneasy.

"You've already eaten," Rowdy said automatically, before he noticed the bit of rolled-up breakfast still clutched in Dilgear's paw. "You're still eating, for that matter. Leave some for the rest of us."

The mayor was looking around at the gathered crowd in the meantime. Clearing his throat, the older man stuck out his chest in an effort to reassert his importance. Luna and Rowdy ignored this, but those closest to the mayor turned to look at him at once. The mood that the mayor was trying to build for himself died an instant later as the older man's stomach let out a deep moan.

"Perhaps," said the mayor defeatedly, stroking his course beard, "we should all adjourn to the dining area first. We could discuss matters while–"

The innkeeper stepped forward at hearing this and cleared his throat pointedly.

"'Fraid not," he said, not sounding very sorry, though. "This inn's pretty small, and doesn't have a dining area. I can get food for everybody."

The innkeeper paused, doing a quick head count before continuing.

"Provided you lot can pay," he finished, giving each man present a quick, steely glare.

"Do we still have to pay?" Luna wondered, looking over to her brother and Dilgear.

"Not if you don't remind him," Rowdy hissed back. "Let's just play along for now. I'd like to see where this whole mess goes."

The mayor's expression soured considerably when everyone in his party turned to stare. It was clear whom they all felt should pick up the tab.

"Bring us a full breakfast," the mayor moaned, speaking to the innkeeper, who grinned wickedly. "Enough for everybody."

The innkeeper left at once. Rowdy frowned as the old man left, searching the room for signs of the young woman who had woken him up. He assumed she was a relative of the innkeeper's–perhaps his daughter, in fact. There was no sign of the girl anywhere, though.

"Guess she must be in back somewhere," he muttered, while Luna and Dilgear moved around him to take seats for themselves.

Rowdy chose to remain standing until the food arrived. He used the time in-between to study the crowd waiting anxiously in the lobby area. Many people avoided looking at Dilgear, while others shot the wolfman what Rowdy was sure they believed were intimidating glares. Dilgear didn't appear bothered by it, or else he didn't know what the villagers were trying to do.

The mayor, on the other hand, kept turning from Luna to Rowdy, studying the two of them intently. The old town leader said nothing the entire time. Rowdy considered him openly until the innkeeper brought out a rolling card loaded with food. After that, Rowdy's stomach won out and he forgot what he'd been thinking.

"Gather 'round," the innkeeper beckoned, looking pleased with himself. "There's plenty for ev'rybody. And don't worry, Mayor. I went ahead and put it all on yer tab for ya!"

The mayor hung back while the rest of the room's inhabitants all swarmed the cart, snatching food off it like they were starved. It dawned on Rowdy, as he and his sister both dashed for the food, that the city of Sangoria was probably experiencing a food shortage because of all the beastmen raids.

"Outta the way!" Luna cried out the moment she got close enough to the cart. "Move it! Anyone ever tell you bozos 'ladies first', huh?"

Rowdy chuckled as several of the much larger men were punched in the face by his sister. Moving around, the teen sorcerer chose the less obstinate approach, using his slender frame to slip between the bulky, pushing bodies.

"Mine!" he declared, grabbing several plates for himself.

"Hey, save some for me, Rowdy!" Luna cried, having just reached the cart. "Don't be greedy!"

Rowdy was already moving back through the crowd, his arms loaded down with food.

"You should remember that advice for yourself," he suggested impishly, looking back as a number of men braved his sisters wrath in an effort to fill their own bellies.

"Don't forget to get enough for Dilgear as well."

The pushing and shoving continued for several more minutes. Rowdy calmly walked back to a nearby sofa and sat down next to Dilgear, who'd wisely chosen to remain behind. Seeing the wolfman eye one of Rowdy's plates, the sorcerer took pity on the half-troll and passed several fat sausages over.

"Here you go," he said, giving his traveling companion a few friendly pats on the head. "Can't depend on Luna to remember to feed you."

"I heard that!"

Luna was moving back over to her spot on the other side of Dilgear, her own arms carrying plate after plate of food.

"Since you've already fed him, though, I guess there's no reason for me to," said Luna in a lofty tone as she sat back down. "More for me!"

Dilgear whimpered, eyeing one of Luna's plates pleadingly as she took a bite out of a crispy strip of bacon.

"All right, fine."

Luna passed one plate onto the lap of a very grateful Dilgear, whose eyes immediately ceased to tear up. The wolfman chowed down eagerly alongside his two youthful charges, both of whom ate with the same vigor and gusto that he did.

Someone from off to the side, who'd already salvaged a bit of food for himself from the cart after Luna pillaged it, turned to his friend.

"If the mayor's plan works," he muttered, watching all three eat, "I almost feel sorry for the beastmen. Even they wouldn't deserve that."

"Dunno," his friend replied, watching the same scene unfold. "Are we sure they ain't beastmen themselves, in disguise?"

The trio on the couch had finished their plates before the rest of the room was halfway done. Luna and Rowdy raced back over to the cart, determined to claim seconds on whatever might be left. Dilgear followed, though from a safer distance, waiting until the twins had completed their raid before gathering his own. When the wolfman left, the cart was completely empty.

"Maybe living with the beastmen isn't so bad after all," another man commented, looking over at the cart with some trepidation.

"They are leaving soon, right?" the fellow sitting next to the mayor asked.

At which point, the mayor coughed softly in order to gain everyone's attention.

"I presume everyone here understands the reason why we've all gathered?" he asked, looking around at those sitting closest.

"We don't," said Rowdy at once, punctuating his response with a soft burp.

"Yeah," added Luna, whose proceeding belch rattled several windows. "Nobody's said anything to us about any of this. What's the big deal already?"

"I believe my companions have a point, your honor." Dilgear spoke very politely, keeping his head lowered slightly as he addressed the town leader. "Was there some matter of business you required us for?"

"Actually, yes." The mayor coughed again before continuing. "The beastmen, if you'll pardon me for being so blunt. Those–"

The mayor hesitated, his eyes never once leaving Dilgear.

"–they've attacked our city for weeks," he went on, deciding to avoid the subject of Dilgear's race altogether. "Ships are afraid to dock in our ports. Our companies are losing business, and the city faces bankrupcy if this continues. We've hired additional security, but it just isn't enough."

"We noticed," Rowdy grumbled, in-between bites. "Get on with it."

The mayor scowled, unhappy at being interrupted.

"Well, we were hoping to hire the three of you," he stated, getting right up to the point. "Your skills appeared sufficient yesterday. If someone were to provide you with supplies and–"

"You want us to go into the woods and take care of the tribe of beastmen for you, right?" Luna broke in, summing things up. "Just the ones who've been raiding your town, though."

Rowdy didn't bother hiding his contempt with the idea.

"I hope for their sakes they don't think we'll be doing any of this for free," he grumbled. "None of us here work for charity."

"They did feed us," Dilgear pointed out, after licking his paws clean. "And the food here is really very good."

The rest of those gathered looked around uncomfortably. None were more unsettled by Rowdy's statement than the mayor, who shifted in his seat.

"I... ah," the mayor stammered, his mouth twitching underneath the thick beard covering the lower half of his face. "I did mention the part about bankrupcy, didn't I?"

"I heard you," Rowdy called out, finishing off his second helping of food. "And, it's really not our problem. We're only passing through town."

One of the men sitting farthest from the mayor stood up.

"But, aren't you three mercenaries?" he asked boldly, though his knees shook. "I mean, soldiers of fortune and all?"

Luna fell sideways in her seat toward Dilgear, almost putting her head in the wolfman's lap.

"Now, look!" she yelled angrily, after raising herself back up. "We're not mercenaries, demolition experts, or terrorists."

"We're travelers," Rowdy stated, wiping his hands clean before folding both arms across his chest. "Sojourners who explore the world, and so forth."

No one else in the room looked like they believe a word of this.

"It... was our Mom's idea," Luna explained, catching wind of the skepticism. "Something she did when she was our age."

"Guess she figured it was our turn," Rowdy added, looking to his sister and offering a shrug.

"And who might your parents be?" asked the mayor, while the rest of the crowd nodded, listening eagerly. "Forgive me, but I don't believe we ever asked for your names."

Luna and Rowdy turned back to the anxious crowd.

"No, no one here did," Rowdy said, unfolding his arms. "My name is Rowdy Inverse-Gabriev, and this is my sister, Luna. Our friend sitting between us is Spot."

Dilgear stiffened.

"It's 'Dilgear'," he mumbled quietly, looking hurt, "Master Rowdy–"

Dilgear said nothing more because someone in the crowd gasped. There came the sound of several plates shattering on the floor. Everyone was staring now, looking positively horrified.

"Inverse?" squeaked out the mayor, wided-eyed with shock. "Not perhaps... related to the sorceress, Lina Inverse, are you both?"

"That's our mother," Luna confirmed, smiling proudly. "And our father is Gourry Gabriev, the famous swordsman who once wielded the Sword o–"

Luna was cut off by the crowd, who all took a collective gasp and jumped up onto their feet.

"Lina Inverse?!" one of the mayor's men shrieked as tears rolled down his face. "The Walking Force of Destruction?"

"The Natural Enemy of All Who Live?" cried another, sobbing into a nearby man's shoulder, who was also weeping.

"The Girl Who Left Chaos and Wreckage Wherever She Went?!" screamed a third, who had to be stopped from impaling himself on a dagger by three others standing next to him.

Luna and Rowdy both stared. Each one wore expressions of complete befuddlement.

"Do...?" Rowdy paused, turning to his sister again. "Do you know anything about what they're saying to each other?"

Luna threw both of her hands up, signaling defeat.

"No idea," she said earnestly. "Doesn't make any sense to me."

Dilgear wisely chose to remain quiet on the subject, though he shifted uncomfortably and clutched at his chest, as if in pain. It almost looked as though the wolfman were remembering something painful, like being blasted through with several flaming arrows.

The mayor had leaped over the chairs and table separating himself from the twins, demonstrating an impressive feat of dexterity in the process.

"Wow, nice moves for an old guy," Luna complimented as the mayor slid to his knees before them.

"Never mind!" he cried out, openly weeping just like the rest. "Please, just leave now! We'll take care of the beastmen on our own. If you'll only spare us and leave town... we're sorry!"

And thus, Luna and Rowdy found themselves loaded to the brim with supplies, which they then passed off onto Dilgear to carry because said supplies were very heavy. A squad of terrified guards escorted the three to the edge of town. After which, the guards turned tail and ran screaming back the way they had come.

Luna and Rowdy watched the armored men–all of whom had loaded themselves down with more weapons than they could easily carry–flee back into the relative safety of Sangoria.

"That just happened," Rowdy said, still confused. "I wonder what made them so afraid of us."

"It was after we mentioned Mom," Luna reminded, studying the retreating forms. "Strange..."

A rustle in the bushes drew their attention. Luna had her sword out and pointed before Rowdy could get his hands up in preparation to cast a spell.

"Don't kill me!" came the terrified voice from beyond the shuddering brush. "I swear, I'm unarmed. Please don't blast me!"

A familiar figure stumbled haphazardly out of the brush. Rowdy felt his face flush slightly as he recognized the same maid from the inn, now with twigs sticking out from her clothing in all directions.

"I remember you," said Luna, putting her sword away. "What gives? Shouldn't you be back in Sangoria with your... father, I guess?"

The maid looked confused for a moment, but then her eyes lit up.

"My father? Oh!" Smiling, she nodded. "You must mean the innkeeper. He's actually my, ah... uncle, but people make that mistake a lot."

"Right," a red-faced Rowdy said, avoiding her eyes. "I was wondering about that."

Dilgear stepped forward, moving between the twins to stand in front of the maid.

"Thank you for the food," he said, bowing. "It was very delicious."

The maid didn't look startled at all by Dilgear's manners. In fact, she studied his face closely for a moment. Luna watched as the maid grinned unexpectedly, before standing on her tip-toes to scratch Dilgear between the ears.

"I'm so happy you enjoyed it," she said, turning to Luna and Rowdy as she settled back down on her heels. "My name is Cleffia, and I came this way because I was hoping to ask you all for your help."

"Those beastmen who've been attacking, right?" Luna guessed, looking pissed. "We already spoke with the mayor about it."

"He was about to, anyway," Rowdy reminded, himself sporting a disdainful scowl. "Until everyone got weird on us and we had to leave."

Cleffia took a step forward, then got down on both knees. Looking up, she fixed Luna and Rowdy with her stare. Her hands, which were soft and well-manicured, folded together in a pleading gesture.

"Please," she begged. "None of the people in the city of Sangoria are strong enough to deal with the problem. The beastmen, they fight like they have no minds of their own. My uncle doesn't know I came here, and he'll be so angry with me when I'm missed, but..."

Tears began falling down Cleffia's face, streaking it with dirt that she'd picked up in the brush.

"...I can't think of anything else to do," she finished, breaking down into sobs.

Luna turned away, annoyed by the crying girl. This brought her attention to Rowdy, who had been listening to the entire sad tale with rapt attention.

"Oh, brother," she groaned, realizing what was happening. "You want us to get involved, don't you?"

Rowdy actually jumped a little at his sister's sharp words.

"It... wouldn't hurt to investigate," he began, though Luna quickly cut him off.

"It wouldn't have hurt for the city to pay us for our services," Luna barked, startling Cleffia in the process. "We weren't even planning on getting involved in this. The beastmen aren't our problem, remember?"

Dilgear recoiled, fearful of his mistress's temper. Rowdy managed to maintain some of his composure. Cleffia, on the other hand, went back to sobbing uncontrollably.

"And besides," Luna added, trying to talk over Cleffia's wailing, "we were just going to wander around for a little while before heading back home."

"Well," Rowdy tried, flummoxed for once. "We can still do that. Mom doesn't have to know that we only traveled to Atlas City and back. Think of this as a detour, and something to tell her if she presses for details about our trip."

"Forgive me, Mistress Luna," Dilgear butted in mournfully. "I mean no disrespect, but you know as well as I do that your mother will ask questions, either way."

Luna had to think about that for a bit.

"You both have a point," she said, then cut a glare across at Cleffia. "Would you please stop all that hullabaloo already? I'm trying to think over here."

"A challenge by itself under normal circumstances," Rowdy quipped jokingly.

Luna drew her sword again, aiming the tip at Rowdy's nose.

"I heard that," she growled through clenched teeth.

"Oh, will you really help me?" Cleffia asked, springing to her feet in hopeful joy. "Really?"

"No one actually agreed to yet," Luna reminded as she sheathed her sword once more, though it looked like the white mage was considering it. "I guess one quick little detour won't hurt."

"Excellent!" Cleffia did a little skip in place to celebrate. "I promise. None of you will regret any of this. I'll make sure of that."

"There's, ah... still the issue of finding the beastmen's hideout," Rowdy reminded, his face burning crimson again over speaking to the beautiful maid.

"That's not a problem at all," Cleffia revealed, spinning around to face the bushes where she'd come out from. "I can lead you there. If we go now, we'll get there before dark."

Rowdy and Luna were both surprised by this, though Luna also looked suspicious.

"It's that close by?" Luna asked, following after Cleffia as she led them into the brush.

"The beastmen tribe have a camp on the far side of the Mountain of Tears," Cleffia explained, while Rowdy and Dilgear rushed to catch up. "It's located at the base, just inside the forest. There's a little-used trail we can follow to get there."

"More camping in the woods, then," Luna grumbled, while Dilgear and Rowdy looked more excited by the idea. "And I'd just gotten used to sleeping on a soft bed again."

"You were only there for one night, Mistress Luna," Dilgear reminded, marching along behind her to cover the rear.

Rowdy, meanwhile, had wandered up ahead to follow alongside Cleffia. Luna saw this and scowled unhappily.

"Put a muzzle on it, Spot," she ordered, biting down on her tongue lightly to keep from speaking in anger any further.

* * *

The trek through the woods was slow. Fortunately, the group had been woken up at the crack of dawn, which gave them plenty of daylight to travel by before nightfall. Cleffia hadn't lied when she spoke of a trail leading around the base of the Mountain of Tears.

"We're close to a third of the way," Cleffia warned, stepping around a tree root without looking, like she'd done it many times.

"Maybe time for a quick break," Luna suggested, slowing to a stop. "My feet are killing me. I was hoping we wouldn't have to walk anymore for a couple of days once we'd reached Sangoria."

"No such luck there," said Rowdy, following his sister's lead. "But it shouldn't be that far to the next town. Once we finish our business here, we can be on our way."

Luna stopped in front of a tree, placing her back against the trunk. Slowly, she slid down the base to the ground, bending both legs as she went. Rowdy moved over to do the same. His legs stretched out perpendicular to Luna's.

"Maybe get to a new village in two days?" Dilgear pondered thoughtfully, coming to a stop last near the spot where the twins rested. "One that hasn't been raided."

"And where the citizens aren't too afraid to let us sleep there," Rowdy added, his mouth curling up into almost a sneer. "I'd still like to know why all those people were scared to hear Mom's name."

Luna laughed then, a dry sound with little mirth to it.

"You think maybe there's a chance Mom left some things out in those stories she used to tell us?" Luna turned her head toward her younger brother. "Like, a lot of things?"

"Sounds like her," Rowdy admitted, chuckling to himself. "Hey, Spot. Quick question for you."

Dilgear jumped at the mention of the great mistress's nickname for him. He'd been on the verge of stretching himself out in the warm sun that was peeking through the tree branches.

"Yes, Master?" he asked, raising back up.

"You know anything at all about why Mom might have been feared by the people in Sangoria?" Rowdy pressed, giving the wolfman a pointed look.

"Yeah, tell us," Luna chimed in, wrapping one arm around her left leg casually. "You knew Mom back from before we were born, right?"

"Ah, well, uh..." Dilgear stammered as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I don't know of any reason why Mrs. Inverse would be feared in Sangoria, per say..."

Something stirred in the air. All three members of the party went still as the sunlight from above dimmed. It looked as if a cloud had passed over it, but that didn't account for the flow of birds taking to the sky immediately after.

"Trouble?" Luna asked, taking hold of the hilt to her sword.

"Maybe," Rowdy mumbled, noticing something. "Say, where'd our guide go to?"

Luna stood up and looked around, growing more antsy by the minute.

"I don't see her anywhere," she said, greatly concerned now. "Did she just keep walking on ahead without us?"

"Possibly." Rowdy stood up himself. "Any trace of her scent, Spot?"

Dilgear flipped over onto his stomach, pushing himself up on all fours right after to sniff the ground. It didn't take long at all for his nose to pick up Cleffia's trail.

"She went straight ahead," Dilgear declared proudly, pleased with his accomplishment. "Still on the path leading around the mountain."

Luna didn't look convinced, even with this bit of news.

"So, she did just keep walking on without us," Rowdy surmised, taking the wolfman at his word. "Somehow, I feel just a little bit hurt by that."

"You would," Luna grumbled, not trying to mask her scorn.

Dilgear started to raise up on his two hind legs. As he moved, a low groan came from deep inside his abdomen. The wolfman froze, looking around wide-eyed for a brief moment.

"That's... a rather unusual sound you've made, Spot," Rowdy noted, looking worried. "Everything okay?"

"Excuse me," Dilgear mumbled, clutching his stomach. "I think I need to..."

The noise came again, much louder.

"Sorry!" the wolfman cried out as he broke into a run. "Be right back!"

Rowdy and Luna stood side by side watching together as Dilgear took off through the trees, seeking privacy and a place to relieve himself. It was a moment before one of them broke the silence.

"Too much breakfast, you think?" Rowdy offered as an explanation.

"How?" Luna asked, crinkling her nose in bewilderment. "He eats as much as either of us do, and we didn't get sick."

Rowdy shrugged, not terribly bothered either way by the situation.

"Must have picked up a bug while we were in port, then."

Rowdy's conclusion was followed up by a cry from far beyond the trees.

"Why are there no good leaves in this part of the forest?" Dilgear shouted, sending more birds and other woodland creatures racing for cover.

The twins continued to wait, growing more impatient by the second, until Dilgear returned. The wolfman looked a bit peaked when he trudged out from between the tree trunks. Rowdy and Luna said nothing, at least as far as the wolfman's condition.

"So, are we continuing forward?" Luna asked, disinterested. "I'd be just as fine with turning back. No one's paying us to do this, after all."

"I'd like to keep going," Rowdy said, surprising his sister and Dilgear, who stared.

"You want to help the city of Sangoria?" Dilgear asked.

"He wants to see the pretty scullery maid again," Luna corrected, giving her younger brother a smug look. "Isn't that right?"

Rowdy ignored his sister by crouching down low to the ground. Studying the trail, he noticed the tracks that Cleffia left behind.

"Remind me to thank Uncle Zelgadis the next time we're in Seirune," he said, looking pleased about something.

"Why?" Luna asked, though she paused on her way over to where Rowdy was crouched down. "Actually, you know what? That wouldn't be such a bad idea."

Dilgear joined Rowdy on the ground. The wolfman ignored the pain in his abdomen, sniffing along the surface of the grass and leaves.

"Miss Cleffia was definitely going this way," he affirmed, hoping for approval from Rowdy.

"I believe you," Rowdy said, giving Dilgear a short pat on the head. "These are her footprints, but there's something weird about them."

"Weird, how?" Luna asked, joining her brother at last.

Rowdy didn't answer. Instead, he stood up and dusted the knees of his leggings off.

"Let's get going," he said instead, already walking ahead of Dilgear and Luna. "There's a chance that Cleffia didn't notice we stopped, and this is all a coincidence. If not, however–"

"If not, what?" Luna demanded, jogging after her brother. "What are you talkin–"

Luna stopped in mid-sentence, cut off by her having tripped over a fallen tree limb.

"Mistress Luna?" Dilgear asked, reaching out to help her. "You aren't hurt, are you?"

Rowdy didn't slow down, or even bother to look back behind him.

"She should be fine, Spot," the young sorcerer said, nonplussed. "After all, Cleffia knew this path so well that she never tripped once. And this trail is covered with exposed roots and fallen branches."

Luna performed a quick spell on her ankle while Dilgear waited patiently, confirming that no lasting damage had been caused. It would have irked her to no end if her brother had gotten too far ahead while she was healing herself. As it stood, Luna could detect the smug sense of superiority in Rowdy's tone.

"I really hate it when he figures things out before I have," she grumbled, moving along quickly in order to catch up. "It sucks having to listen to him brag about it afterward."

"Mistress Luna, wait for me!"

Dilgear started to run after Luna. A painful spasm in his abdomen slowed him down for a moment, though. The wolfman stood bent at the waist, waiting while his stomach lurched and groaned.

"Why me?" he moaned in pain, watching as his mistress disappeared from sight down the trail. "Mistress Luna... Master Rowdy, wait for me!"

* * *

Several more hours later, Luna had yet to cease her tirade of complaints.

"Aren't we there yet?"

Rowdy didn't respond, having given up trying to placate her, so she went right on. "I thought we'd be there by now," Luna rambled as sweat coated her face and forehead. "And it's so hot."

Rowdy clenched his hands into fists, but stayed silent.

"Let's not forget it was my idea to turn back," she grumbled. "Of course, we could make it back to Sangoria if we flew, but I know levitation tires us both out."

Rowdy kept both eyes ahead, reminding himself as he walked of how angry both of his parents–especially his mother–would be if he murdered his sister.

"And then, there's also Spot," Luna pointed out to no one in particular. "We'd have to carry him ourselves."

Rowdy stopped, slowing turning around in a circle to face his chattering sister. His intent had been to shatter her mind with the full force of his glare. Instead, he paused, noticing something behind her.

"Where is Spot?" Rowdy asked, going from angry to confused in the space of a second. "Wasn't he right behind you?"

Luna slowed to a stop before looking back over her shoulder.

"He must've gone off into the woods again," she replied nonchalantly. "I think his stomach was upset again. Poor guy must really have eaten something that disagreed with him."

"Or someone," Rowdy added aloofly. "I guess this means we'll take a break here."

Luna responded to this by falling backward onto the ground, stretching out amid the leaves and twigs wearing a broad grin on her face.

"Just try not to talk yourself to death," Rowdy quipped, moving several feet away. "Because I know I won't be listening."

Luna's answer to her brother's insult was to elloquently stick her tongue out at him. Rowdy ignored her, taking up a spot at the base of one of the nearby trees. The two siblings sat in quiet for a moment, taking in the sounds of the forest.

"I thought we'd have found her by now," Luna mumbled, staring up through the branches overhead at the sky beyond.

"We should have," Rowdy agreed, drawing something in the dirt at his feet. "Which just adds credence to my theory."

Luna scowled and sat back up, giving her brother a look as she did.

"What theory?" she demanded. "You've been tight-lipped about us coming this way. What's so special about some random town girl dressed in a hotel maid's outfit?"

"Nothing," Rowdy replied as he continued to draw; for once not blushing. "Not in particular, anyway?"

Luna wasn't convinced.

"Is this one of those 'fetish' things?" she pressed, turning toward Rowdy properly now. "Like in those magazines we found in Dad's closet that time?"

"No."

Rowdy's voice was certain, even insistent; which made Luna all the more determined to know the real reason.

"Then what?" A horrible thought occurred to Luna. "You haven't fallen in love with this girl, have you?"

"No," Rowdy assured her, looking up long enough to utter the single syllable word at her.

"Seriously?" Luna pressed, worried. "I'm not going to have to write Mom and Dad telling them about how you got one of the girls in a town we stopped at in a 'family way', am I?"

"No!"

Rowdy was glaring. His finger sat poised in the dirt, a small smear covering the place where he had been tracing a line in a circle.

"Then what?" Lun demanded, getting up onto her feet. "What could be so important th–"

Rowdy held up a hand, making Luna go silent briefly.

"Did you hear that?" he asked her as he got to his own feet next. "Luna, where's Spot right now?"

"I told you." Luna was getting exasperated. "He probably just went into the woods to–"

"When, though?" Rowdy asked, looking all around them at the shadowy areas beyond the tree trunks. "And why hasn't he come back yet?"

The answer came in the form of bushes all around them shaking, like a windstorm rustling through their branches. There was no wind, though. A platoon of beastmen sprung up from all around them, having outflanked the twins by creating a circle surrounding them.

"I'm guessing that would be why," said Luna, reaching for her blade.

A sound echoed off the branches and through the air. It was like the most terrible of things had taken the form of a voice and shattered into tiny pieces. Rowdy felt a part of his soul die, while Luna trembled uncontrollably.

"What the–?"

Luna's question was never finished. A wind did come then, whipping around them into a brief tornado. The disturbance was momentarily, but as Rowdy watched, a part of the forest in front of them melted away. The illusion faded, revealing a set of tribal ruins straight ahead. Standing in front of them was Cleffia, dressed in a beastman tribal headress and scantily clad robes that had been dyed a dark green.

"Fools!" she declared, pointing her finger dramatically at Luna and Rowdy while the two gathered close together. "Did you really think that the two of you could possibly hope to defeat me, Cleffia? The Evergreen Enchantress?"

Luna had her sword out and her back pressed up against Rowdy's.

"So this was what she was doing the whole time?" the swordswoman asked, her contempt and irritation evident. "And you knew about it?"

"I had guessed," Rowdy admitted. "She knew the woods too well. She wasn't present for the meeting when her 'uncle', the innkeeper, was there. And Spot didn't feel sick until after he ate that treat she brought for him."

The beastmen, all following Cleffia's signal, began to move in closer. Cleffia, meanwhile, took point at the head of the platoon of anthropomorphic warriors.

"Correct," she declared, giving Rowdy a nod of congratulations. "I had only meant to test your skills as ordered, but you had to go and murder my partner."

"Partner?"

Rowdy looked guilty when Luna elbowed him from behind.

"What's this about a partner?" she arrogated, digging the tip of her elbow in deeper for good measure. "And, did you actually kill somebody?"

"It was a duel," Rowdy hissed back in his defense. "I knew you'd take it badly, so I didn't bother mentioning it. Besides, the guy wanted to kill me first."

Cleffia scowled when she heard this. Rowdy expected an attack, but all the enchantress did was call form a mist to form around them.

"I expect it was just a stroke of good fortune on your part," the enchantress said, wrinkling her face in revulsion. "Nothing more. Still, there's the matter of vengeance to be seen to. Which is why I took the liberty of–"

"–poisoning Dilgear?" Rowdy surmised proudly, having already deduced that. "Yeah, I figured."

"Wait, he really was poisoned?" Luna frowned, glancing at the number of beastmen. "I thought it was just the stomach flu."

The beastmen were starting to close in on them. Several carried spears, and were leveling them at the twins.

"Explains why you didn't heal him," said Rowdy, watching each beastman on his side closely.

The beastmen on Luna's side looked warily at her sword, though the sight of it didn't stop them altogether.

"You could have healed him," Luna pointed out. "A Detoxify spell isn't hard, especially for Mom's little magical prodigy. Remember when she called you that?"

Rowdy's face burned from shame and embarrassment.

"She hasn't called me that in years," he said in protest. "And besides, when was the last time Dad trained with me. It was you he always had time for."

The beastmen and Cleffia were both a little taken back by the sudden display of sibling rivalry put on before their very eyes.

"Oh, don't start this again with me," Luna growled as she turned around to yell at Rowdy face to face. "You always claim that Dad played favorites, but never say anything about how much Mom babied you."

"I wasn't babied!" Rowdy spun on his toes to glare daggers at Luna. "Mom put me through training from hell trying to teach me magic. You had it easy because of Dad, but she was ruthless!"

Nobody in the beastmen's party moved. Each watched–some looking very uncomfortable–while the twins continued to argue. Cleffia tapped two fingers pressed tightly together against her folded arms, waiting for a sign that they would wrap the argument up.

"You know," Rowdy howled as he puffed up his chest, "it's days like this that make me wish I could've been an only child."

"Oh, you and me both!" Luna roared, glaring down at Rowdy to display her obvious vertical superiority.

"Fine, then!" Rowdy looked ready to deliver an ultimatum. "Then why don't you just travel by yourself from now on."

"Suits me fine," Luna agreed loudly. "Just as soon as we settle things here."

Cleffia tossed her head back in relief. Some of the beastmen looked overjoyed at the idea that they would finally get to fight, if only to stop the arguing.

"Wait," Cleffia said, holding up a hand to halt the beastmen that were starting to move forward. "Settle things here? You both realize that you are surrounding, right?"

Luna smiled, and it wasn't a pleasant thing to see. Rowdy was grinning right alongside her. The twins reached out to grab hold of each other by the hand.

"Ready, sis?" Rowdy asked, tilting his head slightly toward Luna.

"Ready, brother," she declared happily, giving his hand a squeeze.

Cleffia steadied herself for an attack, but the twins didn't move. The beastmen turned from one to the other, wondering if they should run or move forward and begin the fray.

"You thought we'd be helpless without our bodyguard," Rowdy stated, giving Cleffia a cruel look. "That we needed him with us because we were weak."

"After all," Luna cackled, bringing her sword forward to point the tip at Cleffia. "What good could an amateur sorcerer and a white mage do against a powerful enchantress like yourself?"

Cleffia began to feel just the slightest bit worried all of a sudden.

"Let's test that theory," Rowdy suggested, raising his other arm high above his head. " _LEVITATION_!"

The beastmen surrounding them covered their faces to protect themselves against the uprising of dust and leaves. The cloud that manifested swirled all around the horde. When they could see again, the twins were no longer standing in the center of the circle of attackers.

"Their plan was to run away?" Cleffia snorted in contempt. "I should've known that–"

A pine cone from one of the nearby trees smacked the enchantress right on top of the head. Cleffia went rigid, her whole body seizing up with unfettered rage. Looking down at her feet where the pine cone landed, she felt her eyes flash red.

"All right, then," the enchantress said, rolling up her sleeves. "Since we're going the immature route, I don't see any reason to hold back on my end."

Holding both arms up, she began chanting, quietly at first.

" _Come to me, oh spirit of the deep. Come to me now, great protector of these realms. Come to me and be my strength, for I am unworthy. PHANTOM DRAGON_!"

From above, Rowdy heard the outcry as the enchantress finished the spell, letting her voice carry through the woods and above the trees.

"Sis," he said, watching as a diaphamous form took shape out of the fog on the ground. "I think she just brought out the big guns."

"Isn't that why we're up here?" Luna asked, before looking down. "I mean, the whole idea was to minim–oh."

Luna ceased talking when she spotted the crystaline serpent rising up out of the tree tops below them. The creature, though see-through, was no less dangerous. Animals for a mile around scattered in all directions, fleeing the spot where the being had manifested from.

"Time to change tactics," Rowdy advised. "Ready?"

"Always," Luna promised, nodding.

Each twin raised their arms in unison, chanting the shamanistic spell together.

 _"Source of all souls which dwell in eternal and infinite..."_

 _"...everlasting flame of blue, let the power hidden in my soul..."_

 _"...be called forth from the Infinite..."_

The twins felt their eyes shine bright as the magic poured forth from their bodies. In each of their hands, a globe of evanescent light shined. Bringing their palms together, the two combined their powers, finishing the spell.

 _"_ _RA-TILT!"_

The blast went straight down. The serpentine dragon composed of glassy elements had hardly stuck its head out from the tree tops to roar when the spell struck. The blast from it scattered everywhere, breaking the dragon to bits, but leaving the trees unharmed. Cleffia covered her eyes with both arms while, around her, the beastmen were blown back.

"This can't be happening!" the enchantress shrieked, as her dragon vanished from existence. "This can't be–THOSE two?!"

When the spell ended and the dragon had been vanquished, Cleffia uncovered her face. Luna and Rowdy were standing a few feet from her, having floated back to the ground.

"Um..." Cleffia struggled for something to say. "Hello."

Luna waved while Rowdy cracked both sets of knuckles on his fists.

"So," Cleffia continued, speaking very fast. "It looks like you two are a lot more powerful than I thought. Why don't we just call it a day and–"

Luna ended the one-sided conversation by punching Cleffia right in the face. The enchantress fell backward, striking her head on the stone of the ruins behind her. Dusting her hands off, Luna turned to her brother wearing a look of satisfaction.

"That's over and done with," Luna said with finality. "And nobody had to die this time."

"Duly noted," Rowdy conceded, summoning forth small threads that ensared the unconscious enchantress's body. "What about the beastmen?"

Luna glanced back around behind her.

"Doesn't look like they stuck around," she mused, tilting her head in an 'oh-well' fashion. "Probably were under the enchantress's control or something. It's a wonder she didn't do that with Spot."

"Different minds take different levels of work to control," Rowdy reminded, levitating Cleffia over to a nearby tree before summoning more threads to tie her to it. "Easier to just poison him."

Luna walked over to the tree, checking the bindings to ensure that Cleffia wouldn't be waking up and breaking free anytime soon.

"We're done here, I guess," she decided, satisfied with her brother's handiwork. "Let's go find Spot. He can't be doing all that good, and I'd feel somewhat guilty if he died from this bitch's poison."

"Just a minute," protested Rowdy, who was looking toward the ruins. "I'd like a look inside this place first."

Luna was not amused, and it showed on her face as she watched Rowdy step toward the crumbled stones.

"Rowdy," she insisted, stomping after him. "This is serious. Spot might die, and you know how pissed Auntie will be with us if she finds out we didn't–"

"There might be treasure in there," Rowdy interrupted, jerking his thumb over at the entrance to the ruined stone structure.

Luna went still as she mulled over this in her head.

"Just for a quick look, then," she decided, following after.

* * *

A search of the ruined building revealed a small catch of treasure, most likely what was stashed by the beastmen from their raids. Since it was already stolen, Luna and Rowdy saw little reason to return it.

"Especially not after they ran us out of town," she added as they walked back the way they'd come.

"And I doubt Cleffia will need it," Rowdy ruminated out loud, sparing a glance behind them. "Not after we send word at the next town about what she was up to."

"Good idea," Luna agreed, juggling one small sack of gold in her palm. "Make sure we're well away from Sangoria before we inform the constable there of what went down."

Rowdy thought quietly as they trudged along further through the woods.

"Maybe we should be more careful about who we give our names to from here on out," he advised carefully. "I mean, it was weird the way everyone at that town meeting reacted."

"Too bad no one feels that way about us," Luna said, before a grin spread across her face. "Or, too bad for Cleffia. If she'd learned more about us, this might have gone differently."

"Good on us, then."

Dilgear was located not much further along back down the path. Evidence of his latest bowel movement lay on top of a spot of monkey grass a few feet away. Luna winced at the smell, but settled down next to the snoring wolfman resting peacefully under the tree.

"I guess he fell asleep here after he was done with his business," she theorized, placing her hands above Dilgear's body. "DETOXIFY!"

Rowdy kept a safe distance from the olfactory evidence of Dilgear's crime against nature and the human sense of smell while his sister worked. Once the toxin had been purged, Dilgear awoke at once.

"Mm, wha...?" he asked, eyes fluttering open. "Mistress Luna?"

"Rise and shine, Spot," she said, getting up off her knees. "The battle's over. It's time for us to move on to our next adventure."

Dilgear stretched, yawing broadly.

"Yes, young mistress," he obliged. "Sorry, did I miss something? Aren't we going to deal with the beastmen now?"

"Later," Rowdy said, passing off one of the heavy satchels of treasure over to the half-troll. "Right now, we've got more stuff for you to carry."

Dilgear's ears drooped in fatigued defeat.

"Yes, Master Rowdy," he groaned, accepting his load, and surprised by the weight of it. "Oof! Pardon me, Master Rowdy. But, what's in this?"

"The spoils of victory," replied the young sorcerer, slinging an arm around the wolfman's back. "Don't worry, though. You won't be carrying it all this time."


	3. Ep3 - The Flagoon Knight of Sairaag

Slayers AGAIN

Episode 3

* * *

His Name is Zaphiel?

The Flagoon Knight of Sairaag?!

by That Long-Haired Creepy Guy

* * *

Episode Guide: The Inverse-Gabriev twins run into a bit of trouble at a festival in the next town. After a misunderstanding between a pickpocketing thief and the local constable, the group finds themselves on the run, being pursued by a knight errant determined to bring them to justice!

* * *

The leader of the highway men stared out through the opening in the bushes, watching the road for signs of travelers. Intelligence along the network of information that bandit gangs shared with one another had revealed something interesting.

"See anything yet?" asked the porty bandit crouching in the grass next to him.

"Shh!" the leader said, holding up a hand. "I think I hear something."

It could have easily just been a rumor, but the leader thought it worth investigating. Word had it that a traveling band of twins–armed with powerful magick and dangerous mystical devices–were wandering the countryside. Supposedly, the duo had attacked and stolen from several gangs already.

"Is that... singing?" another member of his gang asked, listening closely to the sounds coming toward them in the distance.

The leader of the gang smiled. Running a finger down along the flat side of the sword in his hand, he waited for the prime opportunity to strike.

"Get ready, boys," he instructed in a low voice. "Time we showed these amateurs not to mess with the Purple Dragon Fangs."

In truth, the leader was a bit more nervous than he had let on. It had been years since the dreaded Lina Inverse retired from bandit-killing. The idea that someone new had taken up the infamous sorceress's mantle was bad for business all around. His thoughts on the matter were that they ought to strike early on and put the two new bandit killers out of business before word of their travels caught on.

"I see them!" a third member of his gang shouted, raising up to point over the top of the bushes. "Over there."

The leader saw what his subbordinate meant. Two figures marched happily down the pathway in rhythmus harmony. Their steps matched with the beat of the song they sung together.

"Get down, you idiot!" he ordered, and someone had to grab the fool by the ear so he wouldn't be spotted by the duo.

The two were approaching their position. It was now or never.

"Get ready for it," he said, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves. "Now!"

On his signal, the members of the Purple Dragon Fang gang jumped out through the shrubbery, blocking the road with their bodies. The two figures ceased their singing and slowed to a stop. One turned around, only to find the other half of the gang had blocked off the road behind them as well.

"We are the fearsome and invincible Purple Dragon Fang," the leader announced, using his most threatening voice for intimidation.

"Yeah," his second-in-command chimed in, "people in this part of the country tremble at the sound of our name. We are–"

The leader cut his second-in-command off by seizing the fellow by the ear.

"What did we talk about before?" he hissed angrily. "About stepping on my lines? I had a good scene going."

"Sorry, boss!" the man whimpered in apology.

The twins blinked, then looked to one another, each obviously hoping that the other one had a clue as to what was going on.

"Now, as I was saying–" the leader of the Purple Dragon Fang said, only to get interrupted by one of the two he was attempting to rob.

"You're bandits, yes?" asked the slightly taller of the two.

The leader ground his teeth together, but quickly regained his composure over having been interrupted for the second time in less than two minutes.

"Why yes, though we actually prefer the term, 'highway men'," said the leader, stopping the threat of attack long enough to pose for them. "As better befitting our station."

Neither twin moved. They didn't appear to be terribly threatened by his presence, but neither of them were fighting back either. The leader worried momentarily if he might have attacked the wrong people by mistake.

"Your actions as 'bandit killers' pose a threat to our operations," he went on, aiming his sword up at the twin who'd remained quiet. "Understand, this is nothing personal. I normally take offense at the idea of harming women, but–"

"Wait, was this supposed to be a hold-up?" The second twin, who hadn't spoken until now, said skeptically. "You should've lean in with that instead of keeping us waiting for so long."

"I know," the first one agreed, tossing her arms up in frustration. "It is just so inconsiderate these days, how bandit gangs give no thought whatsoever to the people they try to rob."

The leader's face burned red with anger. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword, which made the metal cut into the flesh there a little.

"Will you both quit interrupting me!?" he screamed, getting their attention.

Instead of being threatened, the twins were suddenly on their guard. Both wore matching cheongsam dresses; red with floral print that differentiated from each other's only in the slight shift of the patterns. Their hair was done up in braids that flowed down their backs. The women were athletic and in terrific shape. The minute that the bandit leader shouted at them, they each withdrew weapons.

"You think you can stand against Lei-Lei?" the first twin demanded, removing a large metal fan from seemingly out of nowhere.

"And her sister, Pei-Pei?" the other twin asked, herself suddenly holding a long metal rod.

The members of the Purple Dragon Fang took a collective step backward in surprise, but none of them lowered their own weapons. The leader cleared his throat, ready to give a rousing speech that would stir up his men and convince both women to instantly surrender.

As he opened his mouth, someone from the back of his gang ran forward.

"You won't stand against the Purple Dragon Fang for very long," the diminuative little bandit in tattered clothing. "Not after you've both had a taste of my sorcery."

The leader's eyes were livid.

"What is it with everybody always interrupting me?" he cried out, while the short-statured bandit standing right in front of him began to chant.

" _ **FLARE ARROW!**_ "

The spell went flying toward the two sisters, but the first twin was ready. Stepping in front of her sibling, she raised up her fan and swung it sideways. A gust of wind, mighty as the kind found on the high seas, blasted the fireball backward. The runt of a bandit had just enough time to let out a timid squeak before the flare arrow hit him.

"Hmph!" said the bandit leader, scowling at the remains of his subbordinate's smoldering corpse. "That's what you deserve for cutting in on my lines. I–"

"Hey, boss!" another member of the gang interrupted, pointing at the twins. "These two have got enchanted weapons just like rumors said. It must be them."

The leader of the bandits grit his teeth together and pointed the tip of his sword toward the ground, like he intended to stab the Earth–or one of his open-toed feet. Either way, his eyes bulged, leaving the red veins inside of them visible.

"Could I please just finish one single sentence," he screamed, jumping around in a rage, "without people interrupting me?!"

The second twin, meanwhile, ran forward. Pushing with both legs against the round, she jumped high into the air, cutting a flip.

"Tso Lung Chi Do Kai Pao!"

The ancient chant summoned the young lady's chi from inside her spirit, sending it down through the magickal staff in her hands. The tip of the staff glowed a bright blue, before firing off a blast of pure energy.

The leader realized what was headed his way. Reaching around behind him, he grabbed the nearest available bandit–one of his childhood friends, in fact–and shoved the guy forward in front of him. The guy hit the leader's old friend instead, flash frying the bandit in an instant.

"And that's what will happen to the next bozo," the leader announced, pointing down to the second smoldering corpse, "who dares interrupt me when I'm talking."

Seeing that the leader wasn't paying them any attention, the twins used the opportunity to attack. Swinging their weapons around, the twins launched a frontal assault on the bandits, summoning wind storms and firing chi blasts left and right.

Soon, the bandit leader found himself alone, running through the woods while bleeding and badly bruised.

"I gotta... get away," he gasped out, clutching one arm in desperate fear. "Gotta find help, or... something! Those two girls are dangerous."

The bandit leader slid to a stop, coming out through the trees into a second road. Looking around, he spotted three figures walking his way. Without stopping to think, the bandit leader ran toward them.

"Hey, look," Luna said to her brother, Rowdy. "It's a bandit."

"Looks like he's all alone," Dilgear commented, unfazed by the fact that a bandit was running toward them.

"Guess he must have wandered off away from the pack," Rowdy surmised. "Oh, well. I guess we can take time out of our busy travel schedule to finish off one measely little bandit."

The bandit leader staggered to a stop as he saw Rowdy. The young sorcerer had his hands folded and was chanting out a spell.

"No, wait!" cried the bandit leader, unable to accept his rotten luck. "You don't understand. I'm not the one who's the threat. There's these two–"

" _ **FLARE LANCE!**_ "

Rowdy's spell blasted the bandit to charred cinders, sending the blackened body flying out over the tops of the trees. Luna held a hand up in front of her eyes, gauging the distance.

"Mm," she mused skeptically. "No more than three hundred feet or so. Not really your best mark on that one, little brother."

"Don't call me that," he warned, continuing along without her or Dilgear. "And I wasn't trying very hard that time. It was just a practice spell to warm up in case we meet any serious threats on the road."

Luna scoffed and followed after him, with Dilgear bringing up the rear.

"Like that's gonna happen," she replied disdainfully. "We haven't seen any bandits on this road for miles. How will we pay for our next extravagant meal without bandit money?"

"Get a job?" Dilgear advised helpfully.

Luna rewarded this smart-ass remark with a smack to the head on the flat side of her sword.

"Not funny," she scolded. "Now, come on. The next town is only a couple of more miles way. We can make it there by the afternoon sun if we don't slow down."

Dilgear whimpered pitifully, rubbing the spot on his head where Luna had smacked him as rivers of wet tears rolled down his face.

"It was just a suggestion, Mistress Luna," he moaned softly, before breaking into a run so as to catch up with the two siblings.

* * *

The hamlet was in the midst of some sort of local festival when they arrived. Carts carrying toys and various little novelty items of all kinds parked on the sides of the road. Stands offered different flavors of local treats in exchange for coin, much to the delight of children. There were jugglers and stilt-walkers; performers of all kinds, including minor magic users, dazzled the locals with their tricks.

"Looks like we came here on a good day," Rowdy mused, looking around at the excitement.

"Ugh, it's too noisy," Luna complained, though she too eyed a few of the acts curiously. "I was hoping for a place to take a nap and grab some good eats. This is too much."

Dilgear still nursed the sore lump on his head, but the energy of the street festival was helping to distract him. A few children ran up, each holding on to a candied treat on a stick. Dilgear looked nervous for a moment, but one of the kids held theirs out for him to take.

"Um, well..." Dilgear stammered, accepting the gift. "Ah, thank you!"

The children laughed, running circles around his legs next, before they grew bored and took off. Rowdy watched the scene unfold with amusement.

"Spot's got himself a fan club now," said Rowdy, chuckling at Dilgear's blush. "Think he'll remember us now that he's famous, sis?"

Luna gave no sign that she heard him. When Rowdy looked around, he saw the reason why. Luna was over by one of the carts, picking out a brightly painted windmill for herself. A skewered piece of meat was clutched tightly in the other hand, already half-eaten.

"Sis, you could've waited for the rest of us," Rowdy grumbled, as Dilgear came over to join him.

As Rowdy continued fuming to himself, Dilgear studied the young white magic swordswoman. Luna was laughing as she took the windmill into her hand. A breeze had kicked up, causing the bright pedals to spin wildly.

"This is the first time I've seen Mistress Luna smile in a long while," said Dilgear, noting the sincere expression on her face.

"Huh?"

Rowdy turned toward Dilgear first at his statement, then looked back at Luna. "Ah, I guess so. Maybe we've been on the road for too long. A little fun wouldn't–"

The young black mage went quiet abruptly. Someone had just brushed past Luna, hardly touching her. His hands were empty the whoe time, but as Rowdy observed, the suspicious man clutched a coin purse as he walked off. Luna didn't appear to have noticed, which made Rowdy all the more irritated.

"And, the first chance she gets to wander off," he groans, pressing two fingers to his temple, "someone steals our money."

Dilgear seemed surprised, and looked from Luna to the man walking off. The wolfman waited, but Rowdy remained firmly in place with both arms crossed.

"Shouldn't we tell her?" he wondered, leaing over Rowdy slightly. "Or, at least go after that guy?"

Rowdy held up a hand, indicating that they should wait. Luna was skipping back over their way, happy as a clam and totally ignorant of what just occurred.

"Here," she said, offering Rowdy the colored windmill. "I got you this. Thought you might like it, since you used to want these things when we were kids."

Rowdy kept both arms folded in front of him, not accepting the offered token.

"I'd prefer having the coin purse you just lost us," he said flatly, to a bemused Luna. "Besides, I outgrew those years ago."

"Eh?" Luna gasped, growing angry at the accusation. "What's that supposed to mean? I've got our money on me. Right here, in fa–"

Luna had been reaching for the coin purse, having tucked the windmill under one arm. When her hands came away empty, her face sank.

"Money–" she groaned pathetically; though, she straighted up fast.

"Which way?" she demanded, her temper flaring even more. "Over there, maybe? Did you get a good look at the scumbag who ripped me off?"

Rowdy took off down the street, heading off in the direction that the pickpocket had gone. Luna and Dilgear stared after him for a moment, both wide-eyed.

"Wow," said Luna, blinking. "I'd forgotten how fast he can be."

"Hurry, Mistress Luna," Dilgear said insistently, drawing his holy axe out. "We have to hurry, or the felon will escape!"

Luna gobbled down the rest of her sausage on a stick, finishing the snack in a couple of bites. She casually tossed the windmill over her shoulders, which bonked Dilgear on the nose. The wolfman clumsily pocketed the toy on his belt while Luna drew her sword.

"After him!" she cried, swinging it around. "Both of them!"

Dilgear's eyes bulged as he realized what Luna had in mind.

"Wait, please, Mistress Luna! You'd better not–"

"Stop, thief!" she screamed, making it a battle cry as her sword unleashed a wind-fueled shock wave attack through the crowd, scattering them to form a path.

An uneven line was left in the wake of her attack. Members of the crowd stared in shock, before turning their angry gazes her way.

"Come on," she ordered Dilgear, grabbing him by the arm.

Dilgear found himself being dragged through the pathway. Though the angry faces were evident, no one bothered to try and stop them. Dilgear's eyes watered as he was pulled by the arm down the street, pleading all the while for his mistress to slow down.

"Grr, come back here!" Luna demanded, ignoring Dilgear's pleas.

The path that Luna had carved out for herself using her mystic weapon did not extend beyond the turn in the street. Luna swore, but kept a tight grip on Dilgear's arm as she weaved sharply, veering off to the right. People cried out in surprise and terror as the two strangers raced past, shoving some innocent pedestrians out of the way in the process.

"Rowdy!" she howled, the cry carrying high up above the noise of the busy streets.

"Master Rowdy!" Dilgear tried, hoping the young sorcerer would help calm the angry white mage down.

Luna spotted her brother up ahead, moving through the crowd like a shadow. The troublesome teenage mage was following after a shady figure up ahead of him. It looked as though Rowdy had found their pickpocket.

"Good," she growled, giving Dilgear's forearm an unnecessary squeeze. "'Bout time he finally tracked the slippery bastard down."

Luna poured on the steam so that she was soon racing alongside Rowdy, who turned as she came up along beside him.

"Oh, there you are, sis," he said casually. "And you brought Dilgear along with you."

Luna grit her teeth together, annoyed by how calm her brother could be in such circumstances.

"Is that the guy?" she asked, nodding up ahead at the cloaked figure trying to retreat. "He's the one who ripped us off?"

"I believe so, yes," said Rowdy, while the figure they were chasing turned a corner and disappeared down a different street. "Care to fly the friendlier skies with me?"

Rowdy held an arm out, offering his assistance. Luna gripped her brother's bicep, surprised by the tensile strength there, and held on tightly.

"Wow, have you worked out recently?" she asked, giving his bicep a squeeze.

"Eh, it comes with living on the road," he answered cheekily, though a crimson blush did appear up his neck. "You're getting a bit more muscular yourself, sis. Now hold on!"

"Who are you calling–" Luna shouted, but Rowdy was already casting the spell.

" _ **RAYWING!**_ "

Rowdy's feet left the ground. Gravity no longer had sway over him, for he was rising up high above the crowded street into the air. Luna followed with, maintaining a tight grip on her brother's arm the whole time. Dilgear came along for the ride as well, howling in fear.

"Help!" the wolfman hybrid cried out, staring down at the people far below. "Master Rowdy, I'm afraid of heights!"

Rowdy ignored the screaming half-troll, searching the streets as they flew along.

"There," he called out, pointing at an unobtrusive side street that was bereft of any festival goers.

Luna saw the cloaked figure racing along, grinning as he ducked down a side alley. Even at a distance, she could tell he carried a familiar-looking coin purse in one hand.

"The fool couldn't even be bothered to pocket it," she sneered. "Come on, Rowdy! Let's go get 'em."

"As you wish."

Rowdy swooped down toward the ground, aiming for the alley where the crooked little pickpocket lurked. Luna held her sword in one hand, armed and ready to bring the thief down. As they came close, she let out an unearthly howl of her own, one that froze even Dilgear's blood.

"Yeesh," Rowdy winced, letting go of his sister's arm. "Even I feel just a little bit sorry for the guy, now."

" _ **LEVITATION!**_ "

Luna's spell prevented her from plummeting to her doom. Her cry had alerted the pickpocket to her presence, however. When he looked up and saw her swooping down with sword raised high overhead, the crook promptly wet himself and took off.

"Come back here," Luna called out, breaking into a run as her boots touched the ground. "You won't get away from me that easily. Grr, I'll chase you straight into hell if I gotta!"

"And with her," Rowdy added, though in a more subdued tone, "that's no idle threat."

Dilgear had grabbed hold of Rowdy's legs the moment Luna began to fall. His flailing and swimming in mid-air meant he had a firm grip on the young sorcerer's lower half. The bad part of this was that he still remained airborne.

"Hold on tightly, Spot," Rowdy warned, keeping to the skies, but giving chase along with his sister.

Dilgear whimpered, but did exactly as the young master bid. It wasn't as though he were entertaining thoughts of letting go and falling to the street voluntarily.

"Howling Sword!" Luna shouted, launching an attack down the narrow alley.

The cloaked pickpocket had enough time to look back over his shoulder. Even with the hood covering his face, it was easy to see his eyes bulging. The attack swooped through the alley, blowing him up off his expensive shoes.

"Nice shot, sis," Rowdy complimented, taking aim now that the crook was flying through the air in his line of sight. "Now it's my turn."

Rowdy summoned his power to him as Dilgear continued to grip both of his lower legs. The magick came easily. He was, after all, a well-versed sorcerer, even at the age of fifteen.

" _ **ELMEKIA LANCE!**_ "

The white spear of light formed in his hands, shining brightly even in the afternoon sun. Rowdy took aim with the energy-borne weapon and fired. The spell was designed to affect Mazoku more than anything else, but against a human, it could render the target unconscious.

"Direct hit," Rowdy declared, watching with a smirk as the spell struck the intended target.

The blinding flash that followed passed by quickly. When Rowdy looked again, the crook was falling unconscious to the ground.

"Master Rowdy," Dilgear commented, having witnessed the whole exchange. "What do we do about him hitting the ground from so high up?"

"Mm," Rowdy muttered thoughtfully, as the pickpocket continued his unfettered descent. "I hadn't really thought that far ahead."

"Master Rowdy!" Dilgear scolded, which nearly caused the wolfman to lose his grip.

"Don't worry," Rowdy replied calmly. "Luna is down there. I'm sure she'll break his fall somehow. And, if he does land hard, she'll just bring him back to life."

"Do you really think so?" Dilgear wondered as Rowdy began flying toward the ground after the falling crook.

Rowdy laughed.

"Do you honestly think Luna will let the opportunity to beat the guy silly pass her by?" he asked pointedly. "She's not going to let the hard ground have all the fun."

On the ground, Luna was readying her sword. Her eyes focused on the crook as his unconscious body fast approached the ground.

"And another!" she shrieked, swinging her sword in an upward stroke.

The next shockwave blast from the Howling Sword hit the pickpocket again. His body bounced in mid-air from the attack, but kept right on falling.

" _ **LAPHAS SEED!**_ "

Ropes formed from mystic energy appeared at Luna's command, ensnaring the plummeting crook and holding him up inches from striking the ground. The pickpocket was bound, hands and feet, upside-down with his nose bumping against the street stone.

"Good save," Rowdy commented, landing with Dilgear in tow. "So, now what?"

Luna dutifully put her sword away in its sheath. Then, she rolled up one sleeve, exposing her forearm.

"Now, this!" Luna announced, stepping forward.

Rowdy winced as his sister began to wail on the pickpocket, leaving lumps the size of grapefruits on the man's head. Her blows left welts and bruises like they'd been made by stones. Dilgear made a face, like he could feel the thief's pain.

"See?" pointed Rowdy, leaning sideways into Dilgear a little. "Told you."

The thief was pretty much done. Luna had pounded him until he was conscious again, but barely. As she raised him up by the collar with one arm, preparing to deliver the final blow with her clenched fist, a shadow passed over them. Rowdy noticed first, as Luna was too occupied with her mission of beating a pickpocket silly. Dilgear looked up as well, and that was when Luna at last noticed.

"Halt, fiend!" the voice called out, rolling down into the alley. "Release that poor, virtuous soul and submit to the blade of righteousness."

Luna blinked up at the figure standing on the rooftop.

"Wha–?" she asked, her voice trailing off.

"This is new," Rowdy added, blinking.

Dilgear said nothing, but one paw snaked toward the grip of his holy axe. The figure appeared not to see; his gaze was focused primarily on Luna.

"–for I am the Flagoon Knight of Sairaag, Zaphiel!"

All three watched as the figure on the roof stepped forward. In the afternoon sun, the rays made it difficult to make out much detail. He appeared to be dressed in royal armor of a sort. Rowdy couldn't make out what type. The thief, meanwhile, was still struggling to come to. His head rolled back and forth on his shoulders like a child's toy might. When his eyes finally focused, it was just in time to spot the knight slip unexpectedly off the roof.

"Whoaoooaaahhh!"

The knight's cry echoed down the alleyway as he landed on his metal-plated ass, sliding down the slope of the roof the rest of the way. All four individuals standing in the alley watched as the knight collapsed in a clanking heap on the ground.

"I thought mother said the city of Sairaag was destroyed completely," Luna said, making it a question aimed at her brother.

"Yeah, didn't she also say that the holy tree of Flagoon died?" Rowdy added, more or less answering with a question of his own. "Something about Hellmaster Phibrizzo or–?"

Dilgear scratched behind his ear, still holding the handle of his axe in his other paw. The other paw in question was clutching it rather lax, however. None of the twins moved; their eyes were fixed on the collapsed knight in front of them. The thief got to feet slowly, but even he hadn't run away.

In the back of his mind, seeing the man still standing there out the corner of his eye, Rowdy thought this was a huge mistake.

"I believe the Great Mistress mentioned something about that once," Dilgear was saying as he watched the knight get slowly to his feet. "She called it the–"

Dilgear fell silent as the knight put on a burst of steam, jumping to his feet and drawing his sword from the sheath on his back.

"Master Rowdy! Mistress Luna!" Dilgear was practically screaming as he pointed. "I recognize his sword. That's the legendary Blessed Blade!"

The sword held by the knight was a massive, heavy-looking thing. Something that might have been ribbons hung down from the hilt, which was encrused with a pale, blue-colored gem of some kind. A light emitted from the weapon as well. Given how ornamental it looked, one could easily guess that it belonged in a temple shrine, not on the back of a warrior.

"Blessed Blade, eh?" Rowdy studied the sword momentarily before turning to his sister. "Mom never mentioned anything like that in her stories. Did she?"

"Yes, she did," Luna replied, giving her brother a quick glare. "Remember, when they went to Sairaag the first time."

It looked as though the knight was getting ready to attack. Dilgear opened his mouth to warn the twins, but it proved unnecessary. The knight was merely stretching, or so it seemed.

Dilgear realized, to his consternation, that the knight was posing.

"The first or second time?" Rowdy was asking Luna, all the while.

Zaphiel, the Flagoon Knight of Sairaag, was still flexing and posing. Dilgear began to drum his fingertips on the handle of his axe, waiting impatiently for the supposed hero to do something.

"The first time," Luna informed Rowdy, keeping the conversation of nostalgic inquiries going. "Before the city got blown up."

"Right. Right."

The thief, still clutched in Luna's tight grip the whole time, shook his head. The hood of his cloak fell away, showing his face clearly for the first time. The man was young; in his early twenties. He looked well-groomed enough to be the child of a local nobleman. His sharp eyes narrowed on the posturing knight in front of them, blinking several times to ensure he wasn't hallucinating from a head injury.

"Um, excuse me?" asked the thief, holding a hand up in surrender. "I really hate to interrupt, but were any of you actually planning on getting into a fight with each other?"

"Who, us?" Luna wondered, to which the thief pointed toward the knight.

Luna and Rowdy turned to stare at the armored gentleman, who had at last stopped flexing with his sword. The knight pointed the blade toward them, moving slowly in their direction.

"Prepare to die," he uttered in what the twins were certain was meant to be an imposing manner, "for your crimes!"

The thief immediately pointed to himself questioningly.

"No!" The knight stopped dead in his tracks, looking perturbed. "Those two! The ones who were attacking you, duh!"

"This guy?" asked Rowdy, jerking a thumb toward the knight in reference to the thief's earlier question. "Ptt!"

Luna laughed, to which the knight didn't appear to take well.

"Hey, stop laughing!" he barked, stomping a foot on the ground.

"He has been standing around a while, waiting on you both," Dilgear pointed out politely, though the continued tapping of his fingers against the axe handle suggested he was getting annoyed as well.

"Fine," said Rowdy, aiming a finger.

" _ **FIREBALL!**_ "

The resulting explosion blew not only the knight backward, but also caused a small portion of the building wall behind him to gave inward. Luna quickly summoned a shield protection spell around them to guard against the flying debris.

"Maybe... a little too much," Rowdy admitted, somewhat sheepishly.

Luna coughed, since the spell couldn't keep out tiny fragments of dirt, and glared at her idiot brother.

"You think?" she challenged, gripping the hilt of her own sword as a threat.

The shield around them dropped. Dilgear was struck by a small rock that dislodged belatedly from the wall, smacking him on the head. Aside from that, however, no one was harmed.

That is, except for the Flagoon Knight of Sairaag, whose unconscious and badly burned body lay amid the chard debris.

"Hey, they're down here!"

All four remaining individuals turned toward the mouth of the alley at the far end where they'd run through from. A figure was standing at the entrance, carrying an official-looking sword. The man raised a whistle up to his lips and blew, sending out a high-pitched sound which caused Dilgear to cringe.

"Oh, good," Luna said happily, bringing the thief around by one arm so he stood in front of her. "We can turn this creep over to the local authorities and get our money back now."

Several men had arrived at the whistle's summons. All of them looked as if they were indeed a part of the town's local law enforcement. Despite this, Dilgear began to get a bad feeling.

"Just in time, officers," Rowdy began, clasping both hands together. "See, we caught this foul villain attempting to rob my sister, and–"

"Seize them!" the leader in charge of the law enforcers shouted, aiming his sword at Rowdy and Luna.

Luna and Rowdy found themselves surrounded on all sides. As there was not a lot of room in the alley, this meant that a number of the armed guards stood shoulder to shoulder, and in more of a square shape. One man began digging the Flagoon Knight out of the rubble.

"They've attacked the Flagoon Knight of Sairaag, sir!" he cried out, while the dazed knight stood, stumbling on two miraculously unbroken legs.

"Is there no end to their villainy?" the leader asked; which was, of course, a rhetorical question. "Arrest them."

"Wait, no stop!" Luna cried out, shoving the thief forward. "He's the crook."

The leader reached out to catch the thief as he fell to his knees. It looked like the other armed men were on the verge of doing the same, before they remembered that they were supposed to guard the others.

"Are you alright, young master?" the leader of the armed guards asked in a tender, concerned voice to the thief as he stood up.

"I'm fine," he whimpered, putting on a good show of being hurt. "Just... please, take me home to my father."

"At once," said the guard leader, motioning for two of his men to help.

The rest, in the meanwhile, were looking on with utter shock. Dilgear looked like he was trying to dislodge his lower jaw through sheer force of will. Rowdy and Luna stared in shock, like they couldn't believe what was happening.

"He's... who?" Rowdy asked, dumbfounded.

"This is the young lord of Sir Ivan Diggerblore," one of the other guards–presumably a second-in-command–introduced haughtily. "Land baron and leader of our fair. His house has stood for generations."

"I'll see to this matter," the guard leader assured the young lord, before turning to the other three. "As for you three... attacking innocent civilians with unlicensed magic weaponry, disturbing the peace, usage of dangerous magical spells inside of a residential zone–"

The Flagoon Knight picked that moment to fall over, landing unconscious again face-first into the pile of stones that were what remained of the wall.

"And attempted murder of two of our finest citizens," the guard leader concluded. "Take them away!"

"You can't," Luna protested, drawing her own sword. "He's the thief!"

The young lord was backing away out of the crowd, being escorted by two of the guards. At Luna's outburst, he paused long enough to stick his tongue out at her, lowering the underside lid of his right eye for good measure.

"Why you–!"

Luna looked like she was prepared to blast through the ensembled crowd of the city's finest, so Rowdy took charge. Stepping forward, he raised both hands up over his head. Dilgear saw what was going on and fell to his knees, laying his axe down first, then bowing low.

"We surrender," said Rowdy, looking unhappy the whole time.

* * *

"I cannot believe that we surrendered!"

Luna tapped a toe impatiently against the stone floor of the prison cell. Next to her boot, the frazzled head of her brother lay half-conscious. His body twitched every few seconds, which somehow annoyed her even more. Dilgear, meanwhile, was squatted down by one of the walls, sitting with his back up against it. The wolfman looked forward wide-eyed, sporting a frazzled fur look.

"Would you please get up?"

Thinking she meant him, Dilgear shook off the electrical shock he'd just received. Pushing against the wall, the wolfman unbent his knees until he stood upright.

"We won't be getting out of here by using magic,"Rowdy said, still lying on the floor. "Not so long as this weird circlet is stuck on my forehead. Help me up?"

Luna looked down, like she'd have rather stepped on the hand Rowdy held out. After a moment's deliberation, she bent forward and took hold, giving his arm a much harder yank that he needed.

"Ow. Thanks," said Rowdy, once he was on his feet. "They really weren't playing around with this thing. That stung."

"I'm so sorry, Master Rowdy," apologized Dilgear, coming over. "I could not get the circlet off. It reacted the minute I tried–"

"I know," Rowdy interrupted, giving Dilgear an absent-minded pat of reassurance. "I was there, Spot. Remember?"

Dilgear bit his lower lip at the name 'Spot', but once again remained silent on the subject.

"So, you try to remove the collar," Luna stated, ticking each statement off on a finger, "it shocks you. You try to cast a spell–"

"And it shocks me." Rowdy nodded in affirmation. "We need to get out of here before the constable decides that we've sweated inside lockdown long enough."

"I would prefer the Great Mistress not find out about my incarceration," Dilgear said nervously, touching the tips of his two index fingers together. "Much less our escape!"

"We'll try to keep things under wraps," Rowdy replied, thinking hard as he stared across through the prison cell bars.

"Yeah, if Auntie Luna finds out," Luna added, not looking happy by the idea either, "then Mom will most likely know about it as well."

Rowdy twisted his mouth into a half-frown, considering their options. The bars blocking the cell were the most expedient means of escape. There was a window–also barred, of course–but it was far too small for any of them to squeeze through. The way out was directly in front of them, except for one minor obstacle.

"Nothing for it, then," Rowdy decided, flexing his arms. "I'm just gonna have to deal with the pain and hope my concentration holds up."

Luna looked from Rowdy to the bars blocking their way out.

"I don't follow," she began, before her eyes lit up. "Wait, you don't mean–"

"Stand back," said Rowdy, raising his hands. "I'm gonna blow a way for us out of here, no matter what the cost."

Luna stared at her twin brother for a moment, but she finally backed away. Dilgear did the same, looking apprehensive the whole time.

"Perhaps we should take cover," Dilgear suggested, looking around for the means to do just that.

"With what?" Luna wondered, never letting her eyes leave Rowdy. "You're crazy, you know that? But, get it over with, and don't hurt yourself too hard. We still have to get back at that little creep that landed us in here."

Rowdy, who had closed his eyes, opened them for a moment.

"He does have our money," the young sorcerer concluded, after deliberating on the subject in his head briefly. "And the constable took Dilgear's axe and your sword. Those items need to be retrieved."

Rowdy closed his eyes again, working up his nerve to cast a simple spell that would be powerful enough to blow open the bars. He'd already tried unlocking the locks. Whoever had designed the prison thought ahead, though; adding a lock spell to the locks themselves so they wouldn't open by magic.

Behind him, Luna continued to complain.

"Just wait until I get my hands on that little shit stain," she cussed, clenching her hands together. "If he thought the beating I gave him before was bad, wait until–"

"Luna," said Rowdy, his own patience starting to stretch. "A little quiet, please?"

Luna chewed on her tongue to silence her shpeal. With the cell once again quiet, Rowdy began to chant. He could already feel the power rising within him, and with it, the circlet responded in kind.

" _ **BOM DI WI–**_ "

The shock that came felt worse than the last one, but Rowdy endured. His hands shook, but Rowdy forced them to stay steady long enough so he could release the spell. Using the pain instead of fighting it, he spoke the last word needed for the magic to break free.

" _ **WIND!**_ "

A magnificent burst of air exploded outward away from the cell's inner chamber. The compressive burst caused the bars to bend outward, pushing until they sprung free of the hinges holding them to the walls. Rowdy collapsed, exhaustion overtaking his body just as their way out became available.

"Good... job," Luna praised between coughs, having cast a spell to protect herself, and Dilgear by extension.

Dilgear and she paused when the dust cleared, revealing the half-conscious Rowdy on the floor once again.

"Oh, well," she grumbled. "He did a man's job, so I guess it's all right. Spot, grab Rowdy and come with me. Time to get our stuff back!"

Dilgear did as Luna bade, ignoring the 'Spot' comment. Rowdy was carried out of the cell, thrown over one of the wolfman's shoulders like a sack of potatoes. Luna led the way, racing down the hall out of the cell block.

"Where would they have stashed them?" she wondered. "This isn't a big place. It's a small town, so–"

Up ahead, Luna spotted a storage room with a sign on it. The sign read, 'Contraband', which spread a grin right across her face.

"Got it," she declared, running for the door.

A quick front kick from her splintered the door right off its hinges. Luna stepped inside and looked around, spotting her sword and Dilgear's axe placed on a shelf in a corner next to each other.

"Found them," she called back over her shoulder, collecting both items.

"Good," announced Rowdy, having come to by this point. "Now, if Spot could just put me down–?"

Someone blew a whistle, which Luna surmised was a signal of their escape. Sticking her head out the door, she saw her suspicion confirmed in the form of three approaching armed guards.

"No time," she said, running out of the room with her sword draw, and tossing Dilgear back his holy axe. "Here's your axe back, Spot. Follow me!"

"Oh, thank you, Mistress Luna," said Dilgear, catching the axe with one hand. "Much appreciated."

"Howling Sword!"

Luna swung her sword in a swiping move, sending the magical wind shockwave toward the guards. The men had no idea what was coming toward them, and thus, were completely unprepared.

"This way," she directed, taking the lead again.

Dilgear chased after his young mistress, keeping a tight grip on Rowdy the whole time. Rowdy, on the other hand, was forced to suffer the indignity of being carried out of the constable's building. The wolfman was large enough that he was able to rest one elbow on the hairy, green back in irritation. Luna, meanwhile, continued the charge, blasting her way through more approaching guards.

"Ha!" she cried out, stopping to cross swords with one of the guards. "Now, this is more like it. At least we know the guards in this town aren't total pussies."

Rowdy, being forced to face the other direction, had no clue what was going on.

"Could somebody cut the circlet off my forehead?" he asked, blushing from shame. "Boy, I bet Mom never had to suffer through this kind of humiliation."

Dilgear had been fending off two of the guards on his own. His axe did no additional damage against their bodies, as neither men were Mazoku. However, the wolfman was capable enough in his own right that holy magic was not required. A moment later, both men lay unconscious and bleeding on the floor.

"I'm so sorry, Master Rowdy," Dilgear apologized. "Here, let me."

Rowdy felt himself being tossed up into the air. One moment, his body was laying across the wolfman's shoulders. In the next, he was airborne, with the axe slicing through the air at him. Rowdy went deathly still, and suddenly, the circle fell from his forehead. The piece of metal had been sliced off clean in half. The pieces clattered to the floor at the same time that Rowdy landed.

"Okay," the young sorcerer said, studying both halves for a moment. "That worked out well."

"I'm so glad, Master Rowdy," said Dilgear, offering his paw to help the young man up. "You're welco–"

Rowdy's fist connected with Dilgear's face, drawing blood from the wolfman's snout and bringing tears to his eyes.

"Never," Rowdy added, his tone made of ice, "do that again."

Rowdy turned while Dilgear wept, watching his sister battle it out with several armed guards. The odds were against her, six to one. If one were to study the fight, however, they would easily see the swordswoman having the time of her life.

"I almost hate to do this," said Rowdy, raising his hands again. "She looks like she's having fun, but we do need to get out of here, so–"

" _ **BLAM BLAZER!**_ "

The outer wall of the building exploded outward, taking a bunch of guards with it. Luna looked around, finding her brother standing behind her without the circlet on.

"Dammit, Rowdy," she grumbled, sheathing her blade. "I was having a blast."

"Next time," promised her brother, breaking into a forward charge. "Come on, we need to be off. There are some angry people who will be looking for us soon."

" _ **LEVITATION!**_ "

Rowdy waited until his sister and Dilgear had leaped out after him through the hole before casting the spell. The three of them floated down harmlessly to the ground. Not far away, lights and noises suggested the festival was in full swing still. They had been locked up long enough for the sun to set.

"This way," said Luna, pointing toward the noise. "We can lose the guards in the crowd."

Rowdy didn't argue with her; both he and Dilgear took off, keeping up the same frantic pace. Unfortunately, this did not mean that any of them were in the clear. Before they were far from the building, more whistle cries went up.

"Sounds like they know we've made our escape," said Luna, putting on more steam. "Couldn't you just fly us out of here?"

"Run faster," Rowdy advised, at the question. "Flying means we're exposed, and I don't want to run the risk that these guards have archers. They were smart enough to build jail cells with magic-proof locks."

The three escapees dove into the crowd, weaving around the sea of human bodies. It looked as though the whole town had come out to celebrate whatever was going on. Rowdy and his sister managed to stay together; sadly, though, they lost Dilgear halfway down the road.

"Mistress Luna!" Dilgear called out, sounding frantic.

Luna and Rowdy hesitated, looking from the direction where the wolfman's cry had come from to where the city gates stood.

"We could just leave him," Luna reminded.

"Let's go," Rowdy said, turning back. "He's hopeless without us, you know."

The two hadn't gotten very far through the crowd when it started parting. Up ahead of them, Dilgear appeared in view, running for what looked like his life.

"The guards found him?" Rowdy guessed, watching as the wolfman drew closer.

Behind him, Luna spotted several armed men; the guards were chasing Dilgear through the streets.

"The guards found him," she confirmed. "Time to start running again!"

The three of them raced back through the crowd together once more. Armed guards gave pursuit, which caused the festival patrons to panic. This, in turn, created more havoc, and a chain reaction built where people somehow got in the way more simply by trying to move out of the street.

"This is ridiculous," Rowdy snarled, pushing a couple out of his path when they refused to move.

"This way," Luna directed, pointing. "Up there!"

Seeing no better way out, Rowdy and Dilgear followed Luna's advice. Luna lead them through a closed off part of the street, one that looked like it had been reserved for workers. The path let up to a stage where two women where performing.

"Let's hope they aren't angry at us for cutting in on their act," said Luna, knocking aside one guard with a quick swipe of her sword. "Hurry!"

The two young women were dressed in clothes that marked them as foreigners to the land. Their performance was actually quite good, though, using song and dance to summon magic that made lights and special effects appear around them. The audience out past the stage seemed enraptured by it, which was why Rowdy felt a tiny prick of guilt over their bursting onto the scene from stage left.

A hundred pairs of eyes at least were staring right at them. The music stopped, and the two singers glared at all three. Rowdy felt his legs grow heavy.

"Um, great song?" Dilgear said, giving the two singers a thumbs up, but not moving either.

"Do you take requests?" Rowdy added, helpless for anything further to say.

Luna, on the other hand, looked ill. Rowdy recalled that his sister did not enjoy being on stage much. Nudging Dilgear with his elbow, the young sorcerer directed the wolfman to grab his sister.

And that was the precise moment where everything went completely to hell.

"Villains!" a voice boomed from somewhere high above their heads. "Scavengers! Violators of sacred law!"

Luna snapped out of her stage fright, shaking off the stupor so she could look around for the source of the speaker.

"That voice sounds familiar," Dilgear noted.

"In these times of fragile peace," the voice continued, carrying out across the crowd, "we must look to one another for brotherhood and support. Yet you three monsters have–"

Whatever else the speaker might have intended to say was lost. There came a loud yelp, followed by a crash as something came plummeting down from the rafters. The three adventurers, along with the two singers and the entire audience all watched as the Flagoon Knight of Sairaag crash landed on center stage.

"Oh, brother." Luna face-palmed at the sight of the crumpled figure in blue armor. "This guy again?"

Armed guards appeared, running up the stair wings on either side of the stage. Dilgear turned, finding both of their exits blocked out.

"Master Rowdy," he said, pointing back the way they'd come.

"I see them," Rowdy said, looking ahead at stage right where another group of armed guards stood at the ready. "Oh, to hell with this. Let's fly out of here, after all."

"Finally," Luna shouted, stepping forward to the edge of the stage.

The Flagoon Knight was just getting up on all fours when Luna stopped, standing directly behind him. Luna raised a foot back and kicked forward sharply, sending the knight flying out across the crowd.

"There," she stated, while the Flagoon Knight found himself body surfing away from the stage. "Can we please go now?"

" ** _RAYWING!_** "

Rowdy's spell was the only answer any of them needed. Dilgear shut his eyes tightly as his arms closed around the young sorcerer's midsection. Luna grabbed hold of her brother's hand before he could fly off. Together, the three sailed out across the crowd, who looked up at them in awe.

"I guess we're a hit," Rowdy said, noting the applause that drifted up toward them.

As if on cue, the singers began their song anew. The crowd cheered both parties, some waving as the threesome worked their way through the air and out of sight.

"Don't even thing about taking this show on the road," Luna warned, her voice icy sharp. "Now, where is that little creep who stole our coin purse?"

Luna's voice carried out high above the town.

"I want my money back, you little creep!"


End file.
